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NARRATIVE 



OF A 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA, 



IN 



CENTRAL AMERICA, 



ZN 18 3 8. 



BY GfW MONTGOMERY. 



NEW. YORK: 



PUBLISHED BY WILEY & PUTNAM, 

No. 161 Broadway. 




18 39. 



Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1839, by 

WILEY & PUTNAM, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New- York. 



h 



^ 



/ 




J. P.Wright, Printer, 18 New Street, N. Y. 






'4 TO 

THE HONOURABLE JOHN FORSYTH, 

SECRETARV OF STATE OP THE UNITED STATES, 
&c. &c. &C. 

THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BT 
HIS OBEDIENT AND 

DEVOTED SERVANT, 

THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS. 



4 

CHAPTER L 

Paga 
Preliminary Remarks.— Departure from New York.— The Bahama 

Banks.— Havana The Moro Castle.— Theatre.— Plaza de Armas. 

— Paseo.— The Friar The Cafe 9 

CHAPTER n. 

General Tacon : his character, acts, &c 17 

CHAPTER EL 

Departure from Havana.— Truxillo.— The Commandant.— A Military 
Household.— The Dinner.— Incredulity of Mine Host.— Civility of 
a Native 23 

CHAPTER lY. 

Remarks on Truxillo.— A Ramble in the Woods 30 

CHAPTER V. 

Unpleasant News. — Carrera. — Departure for Balize. — ^Troubles of a 
Night at Sea.— Sketch of Balize 33 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Steamboat.— Don Francisco. — A Thunder-Storm.- A Vessel with 
three Captains.— Bay of St. Thomas.— A Modern Robinson Crusoe. 
— Passing of a Bar.— The Negro Alcalde 39 

CHAPTER Vn. 

The River of Izabal. — Mr. M. — An Exploring Excursion. — The Lake. 
— Don Valentin. — Remarks on Izabal. — Don Jos^. — The Grave of 
an American. *^ 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Page 

Preparations for Travelling Passage of " the Mountain." — An En- 

counter. — The " Arroyo del Muerto." — A Repast in the Woods. — 
The Rancheria. — Don Jos6 a Philosopher. . . , . .55 

CHAPTER IX. 

Fording of a River.— The " Hacienda." — A Natural Park. — Appreheru 
sions on the Road. — Gualan. — A Christening. — The Curate of To- 
coy. — The Fiesta,— St. Isidro. — Rural Theatricals. , . .63 

CHAPTER X. 

Departure from Gualan. — St. Pablo. — The Centenarian. — " Tortillas." 
— Goitres. — Town of Sacapa. — A Dilemma. — Change of Route. — 
Valley and Town of Chiquimula. — Cabildos. — The Cautious Ladino. 
—Mountain of Saltepeque. — The Devout Guide 74 

CHAPTER XL 

Town of Esquipulas. — A New Perplexity and Change of Route. — The 
Curate. — His Domestic Establishment. — His Library. — Attending 
Mass The Shrine of Esquipulas.— The Miracle. . . .83 

CHAPTER Xn. 

Departure for St. Salvador. — The " Mai Paso." — Town of Ocotepeque. 
Scruples of a Quondam Monk. — An Hacienda. — Throwing of the 
Lazo. — An Awkward Mistake. — The Liberal Housekeeper. . . 89 

CHAPTER XHL 

Approach to St. Salvador. — Indians and their Dress. — Arrival at the 
City. — The " Meson." — The Hospitable Frenchman. — The Ameri- 
can Consul. — Description of St. Salvador. — The Market-Place. — 
The Vice-President. — The Secretary of State. — Visit to the Cham- 
her of Deputies. — A Ball. — The American Janissary. — Departure. . 98 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Ravine of Guaramal.— Village and Curate of Ateas. — Precautions 

against Surprise. — My Military Protector Volcano of Isalco. — A 

View of the Pacific. — Sonsonate. — Night View of a Volcanic Erup. 
tion. — Separation from my Protector.-.-The Escort. . . 106 



CONTENTS. Vii 

CHAPTER XV. 

Page 
Tito.— Indians of Aguisalco. — Arrival at Aguachapa. — The Postmas- 
ter. — His Daughters — The Boiling Lakes 113 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A Night at the Hacienda del Coco,— Tito again.— The Alarm.— A 
Scene by Moonlight. — Carrera. — The " Cuesta de la Leona." — 
Stronghold of a Rebel Chief.— Another View of the Pacific— The 
Rebels in Sight. — Valley of Petapa. — Lake and Volcano of Amati- 
tan. — Another Alarm. — Approach to Guatemala. — View of the City. 
— Arrival there.— Separation from Tito , 117 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Sketch of Central America. — Bays and Harbours.— Rivers. — Lakes. 
— Projected Canal of Nicaragua. — Mountains and Volcanoes. — 
Vegetable and Animal Productions. — Mines 126 

CHAPTER XVni. 

Population of Central America — Trade. — Form of Government.— 
Political Events. — Insurrection of the Indians.— Account of Car- 
rera.- Deputies sent to him.— Capture of Guatemala.— Distracted 
State of the Country. — Military Force of Central America.— Reve- 
nue — Church Establishment.— Public Debt. — Prmcipal Men. 139 

CHAPTER XIX. 

City of Guatemala — The Plaza.- Public Buildings— The Plermitage. 
— Account of the Old City.— Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions. 
—Cosiguina.— Character and Customs of the Natives.— Peculiarities 
of Language.— 'Procession of Corpus Chrisli. . . . . 151 

CHAPTER XX. 

General Morazan.— Preparations for Returning.— A New Travelling 
Companion. — Departure from Guatemala. — View of the City from a 
Distance.— Unexpected Luxuries.— The Commander of the Escort. 162 

CHAPTER XXL 

" Rio Grande."— Novel Contrivance for passing a River. — A Military 
Card Party.— The Warm Springs.— Valley of Salami.— Detention 



Vm CONTENTS. 



at a River. — Arrival at Salama. — Don Basilic. — A Sketch of the 
Town — Carrera's Attack on it. — St. Geronimo. — Remarks on Cen- 
tral America 163 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Departure from Salama. — Adventure in passing the River. — View of 
the Town and Valley. — The Indian Hamlet. — The Surly Indian. 
^Incidents of a Night 175 

CHAPTER XXni. 

The Deserted Village. — The Gay Curate. — Anecdote of Indian Idola- 
try. — A Picturesque Country. — Village of St. Miguel. — Pensile 
Nests. — The Little Chapel. — The River Polochic. — Another Bridge 
of Curious Invention 182 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Departure from Telaman. — River Navigation. — The Canoe. — Alarm 
during the Night. — The Lake. — Arrival at Izabal. — Passage down 
the River. — The Echo. — Livingston's Village. — Balize. — Mr. M. — 
Attack of Fever. — Departure for Havana, and thence for Baltimore. 
—Arrival at Washington. — A Parting Word to the Reader. . 190 



NARRATIVE 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA 



CHAPTER 1. 



Preliminary Remarks. — Departure from New York. — The Bahama Banks. 
— Havana. — The Moro Castle.^Theatre. — PlaZa de Armas. — Pafieo. — 
The Friar.— The Cafe. 

Having been honoured by the Government of the Uni- 
ted States with a commission which required my proceed- 
ing to Guatemala, in Central America, I have been induced, 
since my return, to prepare the following little work, 
from an impression that a plain, unaffected narrative of a 
journey through a country rarely visited by travellers, and 
but little known, may not be uninteresting to an inquiring 
and enlightened public. I shall endeavour to discharge 
the task I have undertaken with fidelity, though I cannot 
flatter myself with being able to do justice to the wild and 
magnificent scenery through which I passed, or to impart 
to the reader those emotions experienced in traversing 
regions where the pathless forest and almost inaccessible 
mountain are rendered still more awful and savage by the 
evil passions of man ; where the traveller is less impeded 
by the yawning precipice and raging torrent, than by 
2 



10 NARRATIVE OF A 

the lurking bandit or the rebel guerilla ; and where the 
eruptions of the volcano and the earthquake spread less 
ajftright and desolation, than the political convulsions 
which have shaken the whole frame of society into 
ruins. 

It was on the 4th of April, 1838, that I embarked at New 
York on board of a packet bound for Havana. We had 
fair winds and pleasant weather, and on the tenth day 
reached the Bahama Banks. Here the perfect transpa- 
rency of the water enabled us to see the bottom at a con- 
siderable depth, consisting of fine white sand, checquered 
by patches of sea-weed. The weather was delightful ; 
there was a soft and balmy temperature in the air ; the 
horizon was clear and cloudless j and the vessel glided 
smoothly on her way, like a swan sailing on a lake. The 
sea was of a beautiful light azure, and formed a curious 
contrast with the sky, which was tinged with purple. The 
foam made by the gentle motion of the vessel partook of 
the colour of the sky, and as it lay on the almost unruffled 
surface of the deep, looked like a richly embroidered 
veil of purple lace, spread upon a ground of blue. In 
three days more the cry of " land ho !" was heard from a 
sailor in the main-top, and we descried the faint outline 
of the bold coast of Cuba on the horizon. In a few hours 
more, the white ramparts of the fortifications of Havana 
glistened in the sun : then, the towers and steeples of con- 
vents and churches became apparent, until a great part of 
the city and shipping unfolded itself to view, with a gran- 
deur of effect far beyond my anticipations. 

Passing under the guns of the Moro Castle, which 
guards the entrance of the harbor, we were hailed from 
the battlements in good English, through a hoarse speak- 
ing trumpet : our captain promptly replied, and we glided 
on. Opposite to this castle is another, of inferior force and 
magnitude, called La Puntella. There are other fortifica- 
tions for the defence of the place, the principal of which 
are El Principe and Cabinas. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 11 

Having entered the harbor, we came to anchor. The 
port was crowded with vessels, one-third part at least 
Americans : the wharfs were covered with people ; some 
busy and bustling ; others loitering and looking on. In 
a little while we were visited by the captain of the port, 
who received our passports ; and afterwards, by the offi- 
cers of the customs. These functionaries came in their 
several barges ; and I could not help contrasting the man- 
ner in which similar duties are discharged in New York 
and Havana. In the former port the doctor and the cus- 
tom-house officer go off to a vessel, each in a light boat or 
gig, pulled by four oars at most, and in a mere simple 
business way, without any parade. Here, on the con- 
trary, with the love of the grandiose proper to a Spaniard, 
the captain of the port is attended with two or three su- 
balterns ; and the delegates of the customs are five or six 
in number. Each party has its twelve-oared barge, with 
coxswain at the helm, and a man with a boat-hook at the 
bows, and sits in becoming state under a capacious awning 
of painted canvass, above which the flag of Spain floats 
proudly to the breeze. 

After complying with the formalities strictly observed 
in the admission of strangers, I was permitted to land, and 
found no difficulty in procuring comfortable quarters. I 
was pleased with the general appearance of the city, which 
is that of a provincial capital in Spain. There is an air 
of antiquity about this and other Spanish cities in Ameri- 
ca, which is not to be met with in the United States, where 
an ancient building is rarely to be seen. The streets are 
macadamized, and are clean and pleasant in good weather, 
but almost impassable after a shower. The houses, many 
of which are but one story high, with flat roofs, are white- 
washed, as in the south of Spain, or painted of some light 
colour, and have a neat and airy appearance. Some are of 
two or three stories ; and many of those occupied by the 
wealthy classes are large and massive, more like castles 



12 NARRATIVE OF A 

than private dwellings. They are roomy and well venti- 
lated, having interior courts or areas, like the houses in 
Old Spain, which permit a free circulation of the air, so 
desirable in southern climates. The doors and windows 
reach from the ceiling to the floor, and almost every win- 
dow opens into a balcony. The floors are of flat square 
bricks, in some cases glazed and painted ; the walls are 
stuccoed, or painted in fresco. The internal accommoda- 
tions of the houses, however, are by no means in propor- 
tion to their extent. A good door-way, a broad stair-case, 
and a spacious saloon, together with solidity of construc- 
tion, are the objects to which the architect seems chiefly to 
have directed his attention. The dearness of house-rent 
is remarkable in this city ; three or four thousand dollars 
a year being the least for which a tolerably good house 
can be procured. 

Among the numerous public buildings, the most con- 
spicuous are the Government House, the Custom House, 
the Intendency, and the Theatre. The latter is a noble 
edifice, for which the public are indebted to General Tacon. 
It contains three rows of boxes and two galleries, besides 
the pit. A trellis of gilded iron, by which the boxes are 
balustraded, imparts to them a gay and airy appearance, 
while it affords a good view of the occupants. The pit is 
divided into seats, like arm-chairs, regularly numbered, 
and neatly covered with red leather, and provided with 
cushions : an excellent arrangement, which deserves to 
be adopted elsewhere. There are two coffee-houses within 
the building, and other rooms for repose and refreshment, 
besides various offices. This edifice was erected at an 
expense of two hundred thousand dollars, and is said to 
be capable of containing four thousand persons. It is even 
stated, that on the occasion of a masquerade, given there, 
seven thousand assembled within its walls. The theatre 
being open while I was in Havana, I was induced one 
night to attend the performance. The play, "El Pastelero 
de Madrigal," (the Pastry-Cook of Madrigal,) was wretch- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 13 

edly performed.* One actress was lame, another toothless ; 
but for this I was compensated by the "Bolero," which 
succeeded the play, and was danced to the accompani- 
ment of castanets with considerable grace and skill. 

The square in front of the Governor's house, called the 
Plaza de Armas, is one of the handsomest in the city. It 
is ornamented with fountains, grass-plats, and flower-bor- 
ders ; the walks are flagged ; and in the centre is a statue 
of the late King of Spain. There are fountains well sup- 
plied with water in other parts of the city ; and I could 
not help reflecting, how desirable the introduction of those 
noble and salutary ornaments would be in the United 
States, in lieu of our vulgar pumps. The Plaza just men- 
tioned is much resorted to in the evenings ; and numbers 
of persons of all classes may be seen there, sitting, or walk- 
ing about, and, while they enjoy the cool breeze, listening 
to the music of military bands, that perform there three or 
four times in the course of the week. 

In the suburbs, near the theatre, is a public walk of great 
resort, called the Paseo de Tacon. It consists of three ex- 
tensive alleys: the central and widest one for carriages; the 
two lateral ones for foot passengers. The latter are shaded 



* The Pastelero de Madrigal is an historical personage, and has been 
made the subject of two Spanish plays, both of considerable merit, but 
differing in their story of the principal character. In the play I saw, he 
is represented, like Demetrius in Russia, as assuming to be Don Sebas- 
tian, King of Portugal, who had been lost in Africa, though the fact of 
his death had not been ascertained. Having acquainted himself with 
many circumstances relating to the lost king, he succeeds, by affecting 
an air of mystery, by a certain dignity of deportment, and, above all, by 
denying that he is the person he wishes to pass for, in impressing vast 
numbers with the belief that he is the long-lost sovereign of Portugal. 
One of his accomplices allows himself to be put to the torture before he 
confesses that the Pastelero is the distinguished personage just mentioned. 
In the other play, he appears at the court of Lisbon as the Pope's Nun- 
cio, presents his credentials in proper form, is duly accredited, conducts a 
negotiation, serves the interests of his Holiness with all the skill of a con. 
Bummate diplomatist, and even nominates to some ecclesiastical dignities, 
before ho in detected. 



14 NARRATIVE OF A 

hy a row of trees on each side, and provided with stone 
benches. In the afternoon of a holyday this walk presents 
a picturesque and interesting scene, being crowded by peo- 
ple of all classes, some in volantas, others on foot, and al- 
most all neatly, if not elegantly, dressed. A still more 
agreeable promenade may be found in the Botanic Gar- 
den. It is open to the public at all hours, and, from the 
variety of trees and plants from all countries which it con- 
tains, is well worth the attention of a botanist. There are 
rows of the Palma Real there, of singular beauty. The 
trunks are without branches, and perfectly smooth and 
straight, so that the trees have the appearance of so many 
stately columns,* The garden is kept in excellent order, 
by Mr. Auber, the Director, who is exceedingly polite to 
visitors, especially to strangers. 

In the course of my perambulations I wandered one day 
to the market-place, which is a square, surrounded by por- 
ticos. In the centre are the country people, with temporary 
sheds of canvass, to screen them from the sun, while before 
them, on mats spread upon the ground, are heaps of plan- 
tains, bananas, pine-apples, and nearly all the tropical 
fruits, as well as many of the productions of more tempe- 
rate climates. There also are venders of fowls, parrots, 
and guinea-hens. While contemplating this scene, my at- 
tention was attracted by a long-bearded friar of one of the 
mendicant orders, equipped with sandals and a knotted 
girdle, and carrying a wallet thrown over his shoulder. 
He went from shed to shed, receiving from the pious chari- 
ty of the country-people some little gift — here a plantain, 
there an ear of corn — until he filled both ends of his wal- 



* This is one of the many varieties of the Palm tree found in tropical 
climates. It grows to a great height, and besides being remarkable for 
its beauty, is extremely useful in the construction of the rude dwellings 
of the Indians in America. It is called in English the Cabbage tree, 
from a substance it produces very similar to that vegetable, and both 
wholesome and agreeable to the taste. This substance, or fruit, may be 
eat raw or dressed ; but the removal of it destroys the tree. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 15 

let. I looked upon him as the last of a race now extinct 
in Spain, but still lingering in this remote part of the 
Spanish dominions. 

One of the establishments in Havana deserving a pass- 
ing visit from a stranger, is the great coffee-house, called 
Cafe de la Lonja, where the luxury of an ice cream may- 
be had for a small consideration. It is a place much fre- 
quented, and consists of several large rooms, handsomely- 
fitted up, and ornamented with chandeliers and mirrors, 
with little tables placed at intervals, where visitors take 
refreshments, for a Spaniard never takes anything at the 
bar. There is a great consumption here of coffee, choco- 
late, lemonade, and ices. Spirituous liquors are not much 
in request. To do the Spaniards justice, they are gene- 
rally very temperate. Many of them are water drinkers, 
but prefer this element iced, and sweetened by a composi- 
tion of sugar, called 'panal, which they consider a luxury. 
The waiters are tolerably attentive, and if, on being called, 
they cannot come immediately, will at least intimate their 
having heard you, by crying out, " Ya voy^'' (I am 
coming.) Annexed to the establishment is a room provided 
with newspapers, prices current, and a shipping list. 

My short sojourn in Havana did not allow time to form 
a deliberate opinion of the inhabitants. As far as my ex- 
perience went, I found both sexes courteous and civil, and 
exceedingly attentive to strangers. They appeared to me 
to resemble in taste and habits the people of Andalusia. 
Ostentatious, prodigal, somewhat effeminate, and a little ad- 
dicted to gambling, but generous and hospitable in the ex- 
treme. They have a great passion for titles, uniforms, and 
badges of honor, whether military or civil. Offices are 
mulitplied in every department, partly to gratify this crav- 
ing passion for distinction. Happy is he who can mount 
a uniform or boast a title of any kind. Many of them are 
purchased with money, and at great price. There is a 
merchant there who has attained the much envied dis- 
tinction of being addressed as "Your Excellency." 



1& NARRATIVE OF A 

The women, in general, are finely formed, though rather 
inclined to embonpoint. Like those of the south of Spain, 
they have small feet, black eyes, and expressive counte- 
nances. They are singularly attractive and graceful ; 
animated and unaffected in conversation ; and have a 
naivete and natural wit, that atone for a rather limited 
education. Indeed, I am almost tempted to say that a 
refined education would only spoil them. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 17 



CHAPTER II. 

General Tacon : his character, acts, &c. 

On the day of my arrival at Havana I was introduced 
by our Consul to the Governor^ General Tacon. The 
Government House, where he resides, is a large massive 
building, between a castle and a palace^ and has a piazza or 
portico in front, supported by huge stone pillars, with room 
enough beneath to shelter a dozen carriages. The entrance 
is through a wide and lofty portal, where a guard of sol- 
diers is stationed day and night. Passing through this, we 
came to an inner court, and ascended thence up a broad 
stone stair-case to a corridor leading to the antechamber. 
Here are found a number of officeTs, both military and civil, 
and other persons, some on duty, and others waiting for 
an audience. From the antechamber, we were shown into 
a spacious saloon^ which had all the air of a baronial hall 
of feudal times. We were then announced ; and after the 
lapse of a few minutes, the door of an adjoining cabinet was 
opened by an usher, and the General made his appearance : 
a plain-looking man^ about sixty years of age, rather pale, 
and seemingly not in the enjoyment of perfect health. He 
received us with much affability, asked some unimportant 
questions, and made rae an offer of his services, observing, 
that though he had just resigned the command, his influ- 
ence might yet avail me in the event of my having to 
make any application to his successor. The interview 
was soon at an end, for as claims on the attention of the 
General were still numerous, we thought it proper to retire 
after a brief expression of thanks for his kind offers. 

General Tacon, previously to taking the command of the 
3 



18 



NARRATIVE OF A 



Island of Cuba, held the office of "Asistente," or Captain 
General, of Seville, one of the most distinguished posts 
under the Government of Spain. He accepted his new 
command with reluctance, and under certain conditions, in 
virtue of which he was invested with powers superior to 
any conceded to his predecessors. One of these powers 
was that of suspending the execution of any Royal order, 
or mandate, addressed to him from the Court, which, in his 
opinion, might be inexpedient or injurious to the interests 
of the nation,* and even of superseding the tribunals in the 
administration of justice, in cases of emergency. These 
powers, invidiously denominated facuUades omnimodas, 
or discretionary powers, were decried by some as favorable 
to despotism, and approved by others as justified by the 
demoralization of the people, the corruption of the public 
officers, and the general circumstances of the Island. 

The General, it must be allowed, availed himself, to a 
tolerable extent, of the latitude granted him. There cer- 
tainly were many reforms to make, and many abuses to 
correct. In the judicial and financial departments, a spirit 
of venality prevailed which was a disgrace to the country. 
The city was infested by a swarm of vagabonds, gamblers, 
and bravos. Twelve thousand individuals were said to 
exist in it without any certain or honest means of subsist- 
ence ; robberies, and even assassinations, were committed 
in open day ; the collection of payments in specie could not 
safely be efiected without the protection of armed men ; 

* The privilege of suspending the execution of a Royal order, is often 
exercised by the military Governors and the higher officers of the Govern, 
ment, even when not expressly granted. The form used in such cases, is 
to write on the margin of the order, " Se obedece, pero no se cumple :" 
i. e. the order will be obeyed, but not executed. This practice, singular 
as it may seem, is not without its good effects. At the commencement 
of the present straggle between the Carlists and the partisans of the 
Queen, in Spain, the former forged an order from the War Department to 
an officer commanding a fortress, for the delivery of the place to another 
officer who was in the Carlist interest. The order was obeyed in the 
manner just described, and the fortress was saved. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 19 

every species of vice reigned with impunity ; and in this 
state of things, the subaltern magistracy, if not guilty of 
connivance, were at least unpardonably remiss in the per- 
formance of their duty. 

The measures adopted by the General for establishing a 
new order of things, and for removing the Augean impuri- 
ties which had collected in all the branches of his govern- 
ment, deserve consideration ; while the fearless zeal and 
untiring perseverance displayed in the pursuit of these 
objects, evince the spirit and character of the man. 

His first step was to extinguish the existing police, who 
were justly regarded as accomplices of the offenders against 
the laws, and to appoint certain commissioners, who, for the 
preservation of order, were to patrol the streets by turns, 
and to render him daily an exact account of every occur- 
rence within their respective districts : a duty, in the per- 
formance of which, they were subjected to the strictest 
responsibility, A night watch was also instituted, who, as 
well as the commissioners, were attended in their rounds 
by a guard of soldiers. The edicts against gambling and 
the use of prohibited weapons, were renewed and enforced. 
Fifty-four individuals, and among them some persons of 
rank, who were notorious for vicious and disorderly habits, 
were banished from the Island, but not without due ob- 
servance of the forms of justice. 

An inspection of the jails was next effected, and a num- 
ber of prisoners, after a close but prompt consideration of 
their cases by the tribunals, were either restored to liberty, 
or sentenced to various punishments. A class of convicts, 
whom the law had condennied to an unprofitable confine- 
ment, were at the same time drawn forth from their cells, 
and made to labour in the public works ; much to their ov/n 
advantage, from their being allowed a small stipend, and to 
that of society, from the service thus rendered to it. 

The public hospitals, being in a most lamentable state 
from the mismanagement of their resources, and other 
causes, were also made the subject of strict investigation : 



20 NARRATIVE OF A 

the most salutary reforms were effected in them ; the con- 
dition of the patients was much improved ; and a right 
administration of the funds secured by the appointment of 
trusty officers. 

The sakibrity of the city, and its safety, were also at- 
tended to by the adoption of measures for keeping the 
streets clean, and for lighting them during the night. 

The military class, whose habits had become unsoldierly 
and lax, were subjected to a wholesome discipline : but 
their pay was more punctual ; their food and clothing were 
of better quality ; and their discharge, after the expiration 
of their time of service, was regularly accorded. A partial 
removal from some of the regiments was, at the same time, 
effected, of officers whose conduct or opinions had rendered 
them obnoxious. The same policy was extended to the 
civil branches of the administration, where officers who had 
proved unfit or unfaithful, were superseded by men of in- 
tegrity and talent. 

By these means, and by a resort to measures of preven- 
tion, rather than by the infliction of punishments, the aspect 
of things in Havana was soon completely changed ; a stop 
was put to crimes and abuses of various kinds ; peace and 
order were restored ; and the inhabitants were made to feel 
secure in their property and persons. 

To enumerate all the acts of the administration of Gen. 
Tacon, would be to incur prolixity. Yet some notice of 
the public works of which he was either the promoter or 
the author, may not be uninteresting. 

A fish market on a large scale was erected by him near 
the sea, provided with water-courses to preserve it in a 
cleanly state, and marble slabs for laying out the fish. 
The expense of this work, it is said, will be compensated, 
after a certain number of years, by an annual income to 
the Corporation of seven thousand dollars. 

Two other market-places were also established for the 
sale of meat. 

The jails were in a condition that called loudly for a 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 21 

reform : a new one, of vast dimensions, was accordingly 
commenced in the suburbs of the city, and in an airy situ- 
ation ; the lower part, capable of containing two thousand 
persons, to be occupied by the prisoners — the sexes in 
separate divisions — and the safe-keeping of the whole to be 
made compatible with a reasonable degree of comfort; 
the upper part, to serve as a barracks, calculated to accom- 
modate twelve hundred soldiers. 

The necessity of an adequate mole, or wharf, for the 
exclusive use of persons landing or embarking, had been 
often represented. The work was immediately com- 
menced, and, with the aid of a voluntary contribution of 
four thousand dollars by the merchants, was successfully 
brought to a close. 

The enclosure of a large space of ground for the exer- 
cise of the troops, was another of his public works. This 
is denominated " El Campo de Marte ;" and is in the form 
of a parallelogram, encompassed by an iron railing, repre- 
senting lances. At each of the four sides is a conspicuous 
iron gate, surmounted by military trophies, which serve as 
ornaments, while they designate the nature of the place. 

The principal access to the city being through a gate, 
called " Puerta de Monserrate," which had a mean appear- 
ance, a new gate was erected in the best style of architec- 
ture ; and over the moat, in front of it, was thrown a fine 
stone bridge of eleven arches, with a raised pavement on 
each side for the use of passengers. 

Of the Theatre and the Paseo, both which he construct- 
ed and allowed to be called by his name, mention has been 
already made. 

These, and other objects of public utility, both in the 
capital and in other parts of the Island, as well as the 
Governor's numerous other reforms and improvements, 
were accomplished without any addition of expense to the 
public, but simply by a right administration and applica- 
tion of the ordinary resources. 

If credit is due to him for this, it is equally so for his 



22 NARRATIVE OF A 

Stern impartiality in the dispensation of justice, his disinte- 
restedness, his integrity, and the protection extended by 
him to foreigners, especially Americans, He was accessi- 
ble at proper times to the lowest as well as the highest. 
An application to him for redress on just grounds, was 
never made in vain. He was as ready to reward as to 
pmiish ; but in all cases he exacted an implicit obedience 
to his will. To do anything a la Tacon^ became a com- 
mon saying, and meant a fearless and summary mode of 
proceeding. 

Although he had a number of friends, General Tacon — 
as must be the case with any man in a similar situation — 
had a host of enemies, many of whom were men of note 
and standing in society. By these, every exertion was 
made, both in the Island and elsewhere, to misrepresent his 
measures, and to effect his downfall. It was about four 
years after the assumption of the command, that he was 
succeeded by General Erpeleta. Whether this appoint- 
ment was made in compliance with the wishes of his oppo- 
nents, or in consequence of a voluntary resignation, it has 
not been in my power to ascertain. It has been insinuated, 
that on the occasion of a call on the Island by the Spanish 
Government for a subsidy of two millions and a half of dol- 
lars, the Intendent, who was inimical to the General, repre- 
sented to the Court that the money would be forthcoming if 
a new Governor were appointed. On the other liand, it is 
asserted that Gen. Tacon was anxious to return to (Spain 
on account of the delicate state of his health, and, on that 
plea, had more than once solicited permission to send in 
his resignation. 

One more remark before disposing of the subject. It is 
possible that in the exercise of his authority, the General 
may in some few instances have exceeded the bounds of 
moderation ; but it is also certain, that he conferred on the 
Island great and lasting benefits. His name will be memo- 
rable there for years to come, and will be cherished by the 
majority of the inhabitants with gratitude and respect. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 23 



CHAPTER III. 

Departure from Havana. — Truxillo. — The Commandant — A Military 
Household. — The Dinner. — Incredulity of Mine Host.— Civility of a 
Native. 

I HAD waited now four days in Havana for an opportu- 
nity to proceed to some port in Central America, when I 
was informed that an American vessel was on the point of 
sailing for Truxillo, in the Bay of Honduras, from whence, 
it was believed, I should find no ditficulty in proceeding 
by land to Guatemala, the capital of the country. I ac- 
cordingly embarked at once, and found myself again toss- 
ing on the ocean, and at the mercy of the elements. 

With every thing in point of accommodations and pro- 
visions, that could be desired, with a worthy and obliging 
captain, and a fast sailing vessel, it required no great degree 
of courage to encounter once more the disagreeables of a 
sea voyage. There was also the moral certainty of a quick 
passage ; for as our course was westward, the mild airs of 
the trade wind could scarcely fail us before we reached our 
destination. 

On the 25th of April, the fourth day after our departure 
from Havana, we came in sight of the Island of Bonaca, 
situated immediately opposite to Truxillo ; and in the af- 
ternoon of the same day, we cast anchor in the harbor of 
that port. 

The town of Truxillo stands close by the sea, at the foot 
of a lofty mountain crowned with trees, and clothed with 
a rich vegetation reaching to the very edge of the water. 
It is an isolated solitary place, of antiquated appearance, 
with few houses, and those in a ruinous condition. The 
objects most prominent at first view, are a fort mounted 



24 NARRATIVE OF A 

by a few guns, an old dismantled building, which I was 
told had been the mansion of the Governors in better 
times, and a church with only half a roof, A little apart 
from the town, there is a cluster of huts, twenty or thirty 
in number, inhabited by a little colony of negroes, called 
Caribes, a denomination for which I could find no rea- 
son, since they certainly have nothing in common with 
the Indians of the Caribbee Islands. 

We were not long in receiving the visit of the Custom- 
house officer, who came off to us in a little canoe paddled 
by a couple of blacksv When this officer was leaving us, 
after having accomplished the objects of his visit, I handed 
him my passport, and requested him to obtain leave for 
my landing on the following day, if not contrary to the 
regulations of the place. The next morninsfj early — for 
we had scarcely finished breakfast — the same person came 
again, and delivered me a message from the Commandant 
of Truxillo, stating that I could go on shore as soon as 
might be agreeable to me, and that that officer, in the ex- 
pectation of my landing at once, was then waiting on the 
beach to receive me. This mark of attention left me 
no choice, and 1 hastily changed my dress, while my 
friend, the Captain, ordered the boat to be manned with 
four oars, her awning to be rigged, and a flag to be spread 
on the stern-sheets. 

On reaching the shore, I was met by the Commandant, 
who gave me his hand, and welcomed me with all the 
gravity and courteousness of an old Castilian. He was 
accompanied by the Ministro de Hacienda, or Collector 
of the Customs, and by some other persons, to whom he 
introduced me. In addressing him, I used the style of 
Sehoi-ia, instead of ustedj which, however, he modestly 
declined admitting. 

The Commandant was about 37 years of age ; rather 
tall, and muscular, though of slender form. He had an 
expressive countenance, with features strongly marked, 
dark eyes, black hair, and thick eye-brows. He was 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 25 

somewhat sun-burnt, and had a scar near a corner of his 
mouth ; bitt, altogether, he was a fine, soldierly looking 
man. His dress Was a blue frock coat with military but- 
tonsj gold epaulettes a little tarnished, a sword, and a 
cocked hat, with a plume of blue and white feathers, 
the national colours of Central America. 

We now all proceeded together to the house of the 
Commandant. As the heat of the sun was oppressive, 
he insisted on my taking his umbrella, and, on my ac- 
cepting it, turned, and without any Ceremony, took another 
for himself from the hands of one of his suite. On com- 
ing into the house, he said he expected I would make it 
my home during my residence in Truxillo ; but with 
many thanks for his kind offer, I declined accepting it, 
saying that Avhile the vessel that had brought me was in 
port, I proposed retaining my quarters there. He then 
requested I Would at least dine with him that day ; and 
as the sincerity of this invitation was quite apparent, I 
accepted it with pleasure. The hour appointed being 
three o'clock — a very fashionable one in Truxillo, and, as I 
afterwards learnt, some two hours later than the usual din- 
ner hour of my host — I took my leave, and returned on! 
board to pass the time, as the heat, even at that early hout 
of the morning, was too great to permit my walking about 
on shore. 

The house of my new friend was a good sized buildinaf 
of solid masonry. It consisted of one large room, formed! 
by the four walls, without any division into apartments ; 
and above, instead of ceiling, were the rafters of the roof. 
On one side was the street door, with two windows grated 
with iron bars ; on the other side, another, but smaller 
door, opening into the esplanade of the fort, where a 
swarthy sentinel was pacing to and fro with a straw hat, 
no jacket, and a rusty firelock on his shoulder. The flooi' 
was paved with flat tiles, and covered here and there with 
little straw mats of a kind peculiar to the countiy. This 
room constituted the whole of the establishment, with th^ 
4 



26 NARRATIVE OF A 

exception of the kitchen. It served for parlour, bed-cham- 
ber, dining-room, and office. And well it might ; for 
there was the sofa for the reception of visitors, a substan- 
tial cedar table for dining, a bed to sleep in, and a desk, 
with writing apparatus, for the transaction of business. 
The bedstead was a very neat one, of wrought iron, pro- 
vided with a handsome mosquito net, and was placed on 
a platform which raised it about two feet from the floor. 
A military saddle in one corner of the room, a cavalry 
sabre in another, and a pair of pistols hanging from the 
wall, gave a military and picturesque character to this 
primitive onenage, which had very much the appearance 
of a guard-house. 

At the appointed hour I returned to the house to dine, 
where I found the Ministro, and another person, who had 
also been invited. Where the dishes were prepared I 
cannot conjecture. I can only say, that they were brought 
in from the street. The first placed on the table was a 
good soup, which was followed by the inevitable olla 
of the Spaniards, consisting of beef, mutton, and pork, 
with an abundant accompaniment of vegetables, served 
up together. Then came a dish of rice, cooked a la Va- 
lenciana, and tolerably saturated with oil, which, how- 
ever, did not prevent my finding it very good. Some beef 
a, la mode was then served up, that smacked a little of 
garlic, but which I had no objection to on that account. 
The next dish contained a good sized fowl and a small 
chicken, both together, and side by side, like mother and 
daughter. A quantity of vegetables — plantains, pumpkins, 
and sweet potatoes — all in the same plate, were then 
placed on the table ; and, finally, came a pudding, which 
terminated the dinner. 

My appetite, which was unusually good, from my hav- 
ing suffered a little from sea-sickness, allowed of my eat- 
ing more or less of every dish that was presented. The 
Commandant was much pleased by my observing, that 
he ought not to be surprised at my eating so much, when 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 27 

SO good a dinner was set before me. And good it really 
was, though not in the most refined style of cooking. 
The only thing I was unable to relish was the pudding. 
This unfortunate dish had no doubt been got up express- 
ly for the occasion, and as something peculiarly adapted 
to my taste ; and on my renouncing it, the disappoint- 
ment of mine host was distressingly apparent. The 
desert consisted of fruit and sweetmeats, and then were 
brought in segars and coffee. 

We were attended at table by soldiers in no small num- 
ber, who performed the part of waiters, and I verily be- 
lieve that half of the little garrison of Truxillo was that 
day in requisition for our service. 

The conversation during dinner turned on topics chiefly 
relating to the United States ; a country that seemed to 
have excited the curiosity of the Commandant, but of which 
he possessed only a slight degree of knowledge. I re- 
plied to many of his questions on this subject ; but when 
I stated to him distinctly the population, commerce, and 
resources of our Republic, the progress of the arts, and 
the facilities of communication by land and water, he 
would smile, shake his head, and cast a meaning look at 
the Ministro, as much to say that he was not to be imposed 
on. This, though I was relating nothing but the truth, 
embarrassed me, and made me feel as if I had been detected 
in using the privilege of a traveller. I thought to extri- 
cate myself from this awkward position, by reducing my 
subsequent statements to the standard of his belief Ac- 
cordingly, I relieved the ship Pennsylvania of no incon- 
siderable weight, by reducing her hundred and forty- 
eio-ht ffuns to one hundred. The rate of travelling- in 
rail cars I stated to be from fifteen to twenty miles, in- 
stead of from twenty to thirty. I even curtailed the 
amount of the national revenue, and actually purloined 
the United States of ten or a dozen millions. 

This was not the only occasion on which, in relation 
to the same subject, I had to combat the incredulity of the 



28 NARRATIVE OP A 

i;atives : it was a difficulty of frequent occurrence in the 
sequel. 

Having taken leave of the Commandant for that day, I 
rambled about the town, which I was the more curious to 
view, as being the first I had arrived at in the country. 
The principal street — and strictly speaking, the only one, 
for the others scarcely deserve the name — extends from one 
end of the town to the other, and is paved. The houses 
for the most part are but one story high, and their som- 
bye, dilapidated appearance, together with the grass- 
grown pavement, impart to the place a melancholy air of 
abandonment, It has at the same time something roman- 
tic in its situation, being enclosed by mountains, and em- 
bosomed in an exuberant vegetation, which the efforts of 
man seem to have been unable to check. There is 
scarcely any open ground in the vicinity, except here and 
there a cultivated spot, where the plantain, the yucca, and a 
little corn, are raised for individual consumption. As the 
woods afford a rich pasture, the cattle are good, and milk 
is abundant ; and as the soil, by its fertility, liberally re- 
pays the little labour bestowed on it, the very moderate 
wants of the inhabitants are easily supplied. 

In walking the streets I was stared at by both sexes, 
who would whisper, and point at me, as I passed. The 
arrival of a stranger seemed to be an event, a little epoch 
in the annals of Truxillo. I observed some pretty 
faces and graceful figures among the females, but I am 
not sure that I saw a real white complexion ; for such 
as were not Indians, or mulattoes. were so tanned by the 
sun, as to make it difficult to distinguish them from the 
others. Both sexes wore nothing but linen or cotton, 
and could not be more lightly clad, especially the 
women, who, from a sense of propriety, would throw a 
kerchief round their necks as I approached. 

On my way back to the beach, I called at the house of 
a merchant for whom I had brought a letter of introduc- 
tion. In the course of my visit, my eye was struck with 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 29 

some fine leopard skins, in his magazine ; which I ex- 
amined attentively, expressing my admiration of their 
size and beauty. The merchant said nothing, but soon 
after we had parted, and just as I was stepping into the 
boat, I was overtaken by one of his servants, bringing 
one of the finest of the skins. " This," said he, " is a 
corta jineza (a small present,) which my master desires 
you to accept." 

In Spanish America, as in Old Spain, it is considered a 
matter of course, according to the code of politeness, to 
offer a person any thing for which he expresses an admi- 
ration ; it is equally a matter of course to decline such 
offers. In the present instance, however, the manner in 
which the present was sent after me, showed that it was 
made in earnest, and to decline it would have been con- 
sidered a slight. I accepted it, therefore, without hesi- 
tation, and recorded it in my memory to the credit of 
the courtesy and hospitality of the good people of 
Tru?;illp, 



30 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER IV. 

Remarks on Truxillo. — A Ramble in the Woods. 

The town of Truxillo was, in former times, a place of 
some importance, both in a military and commercial point 
of view. It contained a considerable garrison, and the 
ruins of extensive barracks may yet be seen there. It 
carried on a flourishing trade with the metropolis, the 
manufactures of which were exchanged for the products 
of the country. Of these products, the principal are ma- 
hogany, cedar, and other woods, sarsaparilla, hides, and tal- 
low. There are also some mines of gold in the neighbour- 
hood, which, under proper management, might be worked 
with a profit. The place, however, has long been on the 
decline ; and its prosperity is not likely to return in many 
years. Its population, which now does not much exceed 
a thousand souls, was formerly twice or three times that 
amount. While I was there, our brig was the only vessel 
in port ; and such was the scarcity of money, that the cap- 
tain had to take articles he was in no need of in payment 
of the small part of the cargo he had disposed of. Even 
the few soldiers of the garrison had to be supported by the 
daily contributions of the merchants. 

During my stay in Truxillo I took a ramble in the 
woods, accompanied by the captain of the vessel. There 
is a brook in the neighborhood of the town which pursues 
a winding course through the woods, and among the rocks, 
till it falls into the sea : we resolved to explore its banks 
as far as circumstances might permit. We sat out, accord- 
ingly, each of us armed with a stout stick, in the apprehen- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 31 

sion of encountering snakes. Indeed, so exaggerated were 
the accounts I had received of the number of these reptiles 
infesting the woods, that I had conceived it impossible to 
move a step without danger of being attacked by them. 

As we proceeded on our excursion I was agreeably sur- 
prised by the beauty of the scenery. The size and lofti- 
ness of the trees, some of them in blossom, and the deep 
verdure of their foliage, surpassed anything I had ever 
seen of the Idnd. There was the tamarind tree, the wild 
lemon, loaded with fruit, and the sassafras. There, too, 
was the mahogany tree, which, like the sassafras, furnishes 
a staple commodity of the country ; and a variety of other 
trees, with whose properties and names we were wholly 
unacquainted. There was a vast number of plants also, 
that seemed to me curious and well worth the attention of 
a botanist. Parrots, pelicans, and other birds of brilliant 
plumage, were flying all around us ; there were singing 
birds among the trees ; while, in the limpid waters of the 
brook, might be seen, now and then, the silveiy sides of a 
fish glistening in the sun, as it darted across the stream^ 
The leafy branches of the trees, overhanging the water 
from either bank, formed, in many places, a delightful shade. 
The brook sometimes rushed and foa:med noisily among 
groups of rocks or through narrow passes, and at other 
times glided peacefully on, an almost imperceptible cur- 
rent. At one place a little bay was formed, deep and cool, 
where the smooth and placid surface of the water, which 
was beautifully transparent, reflected, as in a mirror, the 
overhanging trees. It was impossible not to be affected 
by the solitude and beauty of the scene : the charm was 
felt and acknowledged by my companion, as well as by 
myself. A pleasant breeze, blowing at the time, effectually 
prevented our being annoyed by mosquitoes ; and, singu- 
lar as it seemed to me, we met with no snake, nor any dan- 
gerous animal, in our path. 

After continuing for more than an hour along the banks 
of the brook, our progress was arrested by tlie density oi* 



32 NARRATIVE OF A 

the trees and bushes. On retracing our steps, we discovered 
under a bank a Uttle canoe, fastened to the roots of a tree. 
The idea of making our homeward trip by water imme- 
diately suggested itself; the canoe had neither oars nor 
paddles, but the captain tore off the branch of a tree, to serve 
as a pole. We now got into the canoe, which was barely 
capable of containing two persons, and cast her loose. Our 
situation much resembled that of the illustrious knight of 
La Mancha, and his squire Sancho. when they got into a 
boat to reconnoitre a water-mill which they had mistaken 
for an enchanted castle. 

It required no small degree of address on the pairt of the 
captain to navigate our little bark with his pole, so as to 
keep her clear of the obstacles and dangeris that surrounded 
her. At one time she would come within ail inch of dash- 
ing her frail sides against a rock ; at another, she would 
drift close under a bank overhung with triees, and bring our 
heads in contact with the branches : now she Wottld get 
into an eddy, and, turning with her side to the stream, be 
on the point of capsizing; and then perhaps we ran 
aground, which obliged us to get out to push her off. At 
length, however, the navigation of the brook was success- 
fully performed, and the voyage brought to a close without 
any accident. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 33 



CHAPTER V. 

Unpleasant News.-^Carrera. — Departure for Balize. — Troubles of a 
Night at Sea. — Sketch of Balize. 

From the information I obtained, on my arrival at Trux- 
illo, I found that I had taken a wrong step in coming thither. 
The journey from that place to Guatemala could not be 
performed in less than thirty days ; whereas, had I gone to 
Izabal, a port at the head of the Bay of Honduras, nine or 
ten days would have been sufficient. There was no alter- 
native, therefore^ but to proceed to Izabal ; and to get there, 
it would be necessary first to go to Balize, an English set- 
tlement in that neighbourhood. An opportunity for the lat- 
ter place offered itself after a detention of five or six days in 
Truxillo. I embraced it, of course, though the size and 
appearance of the vessel — a little schooner scarcely thirty 
feet long — might have deterred any one from venturing in 
her on a sea of such dangerous navigation as the Bay of 
Honduras. 

The rumours I had heard of the distracted state of Cen- 
tral America were confirmed at Truxillo. An insurrection, 
I was told, had taken place among the Indians, who, under 
the directions of a man called Carrera, were ravaging the 
country, and committing all manner of excesses. Along 
the coast, and in some of the Departments, tranquillity had 
not been disturbed ; but in the interior, there was no safety 
for the traveller, and every avenue to the capital was beset 
by parties of brigands, who showed no mercy to their vic- 
tims, especially if they were foreigners. 

Tins intelligence was discouraging, but there was no 
alternative : the journey must be performed. Accordingly, 
5 



34 



NARRATIVE OF A 



after taking leave of the Commandant and the captain, I 
went on board the Uttle schooner, and we set sail for 
Balize. 

The wind, at the commencehient, was fair and moderate, 
but in the course of the night grew fresher and stronger, 
till it almost blew a gale. We had a boat astern, too large 
to be taken on board of our small vessel. As it was towed 
rapidly along, it soon filled with water, and we were obliged 
every two or three hours to heave to and bale it out. 
During one of these operations the schooner was suddenly 
struck by a gust of wind, and the main boom snapped in 
the middle. One of the broken ends was borne down the 
companion-way, but was fortunately prevented by the lad- 
der from reaching the cabin, where I was lying. A mo- 
ment after we shipped a sea. In the mean time the main- 
sail was flapping violently in the wind, and as the night 
was of pitchy darkness, some confusion ensued before mat- 
ters could be arranged. The first thing done was to cut 
away the boat ; the boom was then spliced by means of a 
couple of oars, and our little craft, being again put before 
the wind as our course required, was borne over the water 
even more swiftly than before. 

In about forty-eight hours after leaving Truxillo, we 
were in soundings, and navigating in smooth water in an 
archipelago of keys, or islets, covered with verdure. We 
soon after came to anchor before the town of Balize, the 
situation of which is so low, that the houses seem rising 
out of the sea. The place had a neat and pretty appear- 
ance, and contrasted strongly with the old fashioned town 
I had just quitted on the other side of the bay. 

We arrived on the afternoon of May the 4th. Towards 
evening I went on shore ; and on my inquiring where lodg- 
ings could be procured, was directed to a sort of boarding- 
house, the only establishment in the place for the accom- 
modation of strangers, and one of the meanest that can well 
be imagined. It may seem surprising that a populous 
English town should not be provided with a single hotel 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA, 35 

or house of reception for travellers, but the one just men- 
tioned, but such is the fact. 

On my coming to the house, I found two little negro 
girls sitting in the threshold, and inquired of them whether 
the master or mistress were at home. " Missus gone out," 
said one of them; "nobody in de house." "When will 
she come back T said I. " Don't know, sar," was the an- 
swer. " But you will go and look for her," I rejoined, " and 
I will give you something." "Can't go," said the little 
baggage, in the same provokingly laconic style. I then 
tried her companion : " You,'' said I, " I am sure, will go 
and call your mistress." But she seemed animated by the 
same spirit as her fellow-imp. " Shan't do no such thing," 
cried she pertly. There was no other place to go to, and 
I had no idea either of returning to the vessel or of passing 
the nio-ht in the street. As the door of the house was not 
locked, I determined to go in, and wait till the mistress 
should return. On entering, I found the doors of the rooms 
open, and various articles lying about, without much regard 
to security. I took possession of a sofa, and had been rest- 
in o- there about an hour, when the mistress of the house 
made her appearance, and, on my making a short explana- 
tion, provided me with a room and bed. 

The next morning I went to pay my respects to the 
Governor, or Superintendent, of the settlement. On my 
acquainting him with the object of my visit to that part of 
the world, and my intention of proceeding to Guatemala, 
he seemed surprised, and expressed his doubts of my being 
able to reach that city in safety in the then distracted state 
of the country. He assured me that the accounts I had 
received at Truxillo of the danger to travellers from the 
parties of factious Indians infesting the roads, were correct. 
He, therefore, conceived it prudent for me to wait until 
things should assume a more favorable aspect, or, at least, 
until he received further intelligence of the state of the in- 
terior. Uncertain what to do, I took my leave of him, and 
passed the rest of the day in rambling about the place. 



36 NARRATIVE OF A 

The houses of Balize are of wood, painted of some light 
gay colour, and are built in the style of those in England. 
They look very well ; but their little rooms, and small 
sashed windows, without balconies, are by no means adapt- 
ed to a sultry climate. They are enclosed, too, with fences 
and palisades, as if the occupants were apprehensive of 
intruders. In this, and in other respects, I was struck 
with the prevalence here of native habits and usages, how- 
ever at variance with the climate and circumstances of the 
country. There are some good buildings in the place, 
but, I believe, all of wood; the principal are the Court 
House, the Government House, and the Episcopal Church. 
The population, of which a great portion are coloured 
people, amounts to six or seven thousand. The inhabit- 
ants are, for the most part, engaged in the cutting of ma- 
hogany, the exportation of which constitutes the chief 
business of the place. Several mercantile houses of re- 
spectability, however, import English goods, with which 
they supply the internal consumption to a great extent, 
receiving in exchange cochineal, hides, and indigo. An 
advantageous investment is thus afforded to British capi- 
tal, as also by the commercial relations maintained be- 
tween the place and Omoa, Truxillo and Izabal, where, 
besides the productions above mentioned, virgin silver and 
specie are received in exchange for British goods. Balize 
is, in fact, the key of Central America on the Atlantic side. 
It is almost the only channel of communication between 
Europe and this part of America, and its merchants are 
the agents of all commercial operations between foreigners 
and natives. The harbour aifords a good anchorage, and 
is guarded by a little battery of ten or twelve guns, planted 
on a level with the sea, on a spot which may truly be 
called British ground; it having been raised from the 
water, and formed in a shallow part of the harbour, by the 
ballast brought in English vessels and discharged there by 
order of the Governor. There are, on an average, ten or 
twelve vessels always in port, mostly English. Two or 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 37 

three packets run regularly between the place and Lon- 
don. The situation of Balize could not be more unfa- 
vourable ; it is in the midst of a swamp, partially convert- 
ed into firm ground by means of drains and causeways. 
It is one of the most unhealthy places in the world. Fe- 
vers are very prevalent, and make great havoc among 
strangers. The water, too, in most families, supplied by 
the rains, is extremely bad, and tinged with a light yellow 
colour, by passing over the shingle roofs of the houses 
before being received into the cisterns. 

Balize, now a place of some importance, was original- 
ly — as I have been informed — the resort of a famous buc- 
caneer, or pirate, called Wallace, from whom it derives its 
name ; the word Wallace being pronounced Valiz by the 
Spaniards, and, by an easy transition, converted by the 
English into its present denomination. On the expulsion 
of the pirate, the English were allowed by the Court of 
Spain, about the middle of the last century, to form a set- 
tlement there for the purpose of cutting mahogany and 
logwood. The extent of territory granted them was 
eighteen leagues, or fifty-four miles, along the coast. 
This grant was to be for forty years only, and the erec- 
tion of any fortifications or permanent buildings, or the 
introduction of any garrison or military force whatever, 
were prohibited. These restrictions, however, were not 
much regarded. The place increased in wealth and pop- 
ulation ; and when the Spaniards, at the expiration of the 
stipulated period, attempted to dislodge the inhabitants, 
and take possession of the settlement, they found the un- 
dertaking superior to their strength, and were obliged to 
desist. Subsequently, when the colonies of South Ameri- 
ca declared themselves independent, the territory was 
claimed by the State of Guatemala, within whose limits 
it is situated ; but the claim was of course disallowed, and 
the argument alleged was, that the territory had been 
granted to Great Britain by the King of Spain. This ter- 
ritory, instead of eighteen leagues^ lias attained to more 



38' NARRATIVE OF A 

than double that extent, and the possession of it by the 
English is regarded by the Government of Central Ame- 
rica with a jealous eye. 

The town of Balize is garrisoned by a regiment of 
blacks. The post of Governor, or Superintendent, of the 
settlement, is filled by an officer of military rank, com- 
bining the duties of the first civil magistrate with those 
of commander of the troops. The administration of jus- 
tice is vested in seven magistrates annually elected. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA, 39 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Steamboat. — Don Francisco. — A Thunder-Storm. — A Vessel with 
three Captains. — Bay of St. Thomas.— A Modern Robinson Crusoe. — 
Passing of a Bar. — The Negro Alcalde. 

On the third day after my arrival at Balize I was in- 
formed that a steamboat belonging to an English com- 
pany was on the point of sailing from that port for Izabal. 
A vessel of this description in that remote part of the 
world was a novelty wholly unexpected by me. Un- 
willing to lose time by any detention not absolutely ne- 
cessary, I determined to take my passage in her. From 
this, however, a Spanish merchant, Don Francisco * * *, 
with whom I had become acquainted in Balize, tried to 
dissuade me, by representing to me in the most serious 
manner the imprudence of trusting to those new fangled 
inventions of the English, and the probability of being 
blown up or scalded to death. The remonstrances of 
Don Francisco, who evidently was no friend to steam- 
boats, or to any thing English, were lost on me, and I 
went on board. 

After the lapse of three or four hours in hunting up 
the men, the crew of the vessel was at length collected, 
and the order was given to get under weigh. But here 
another difficulty occurred ; the sailors, who were all 
intoxicated, refused to do any work, prohibited the en- 
gineer from getting up the steam, and threatened the 
captain. 1 began to think that I ought to have followed 
the advice of Don Francisco. In the mean time night 
came on, dark and gloomy, with a thick bank collecting 
in the horizon. About midnight a high wind rose, ac- 



40 NARRATIVE OF A 

companied by rain and occasional flashes of lightning. 
In a short time we were visited by one of those tremen- 
dous thunder-storms which are prevalent in the Tropics- 
The thunder, at first only heard faintly and at a distance, 
now rolled in awful peals over our heads ; the rain fell 
like a cataract, and the glare of the lightning-flash was 
dazzling and incessant. 1 heartily wished myself on 
shore, and thought of Don Francisco. The small and 
rather crowded cabin was intolerable from the heat and 
smell of bilge-water, while the state of the weather ren- 
dered it impossible to remain on deck. About day-break, 
the storm had entirely ceased ; the sky cleared away, and 
the sun shone out in all his brightness. The steam was 
then put on, and the vessel started. It appeared that our 
detention was a fortunate circumstance, for had the storm 
overtaken us at sea, the consequences might have been 
fatal. 

We proceeded on our voyage without the occurrence 
of any incident worth noticing, except an occasional 
squabble between the captain and the men. It was evi- 
dent that the former was very deficient in the knowledge 
of his profession, and still more so in energy aud firm- 
ness of character. The sailors were not slow to discover 
this, and, in consequence, paid no deference to his au- 
thority. They used to say that they had three captains 
on board : the captain proper, the pilot, and the agent of 
the company, who had come with us. These three as- 
sumed the command occasionally; thus affording the 
men a pretext for not attending to the orders of either. 
We also had on board one of those troublesome subjects 
to be found in the crew of every vessel, a shrewd dispu- 
tatious fellow, whom we used to call the lawyer sailor. 
This man used to set the others on, while, for his own 
part, he always kept on the right side of the law, and out 
of the reach of punishment. 

The next morning early I was agreeably surprised by 
hearing the chirping of birds, and, looking out of the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 41 

cabin windows, saw a grove of trees close under our 
stern. I went on deck, and found that we had arrived 
in the bay of St. Thomas, and had anchored within a 
few yards of the shore. A finer or more interestino- view 
than that which presented itself on this occasion, I have 
seldom seen. The bay of St. Thomas lay before me like 
an immense basin, exhibiting a smooth and glassy sur- 
face, and a clear, sandy bottom, illuminated by the rays of 
the sun, which was then just rising over the mountains, 
and pouring a flood of light over hill and valley. The 
shores of the bay, making a wide circular sweep, extended 
to a circumference of some twenty miles. The land— 
which was clothed with a luxuriant verdure — rose higher 
in proportion to its distance from the water, till it termi- 
nated in a range of towering mountains, forming a mag- 
nificent amphitheatre. There was depth of water there 
for the largest ship ever built, and room enough for the 
whole navy of Great Britain to ride at anchor. 

This splendid bay is situated on the right of the em- 
bouchure of the river Izabal, and at the head of the great 
bay of Honduras. Being protected against the winds by 
the surrounding land, it afl^ords a safe harbour ; and from 
its situation on that part of the coast most favourable for 
communicating with the interior, and its numerous other 
advantages, seems destined by Nature for a great commer- 
cial emporium. But thus far, the place is almost a per- 
fect solitude. There was not a single vessel in the har- 
bour but our own, nor a house to be seen on shore, ex- 
cept two or three miserable huts. These huts were the 
commencement of a settlement projected by the Govern- 
ment of Central America, but abandoned almost in the 
onset, from want either of means, or of energy, on the 
part of that Government in promoting objects of public 
utility. An establishment there had also been contem- 
plated by a company of English merchants, who made 
proposals to that eflfect, with an offer of opening a com- 
munication across the mountains to the nearest point of 




42 



NARRATIVE OF A 



the road leading from Izabal to the capital. But the same 
fatality that attends all efforts at improvement in this 
country, rendered this plan abortive, and it was in like 
manner abandoned. 

Our object in coming hither was to take in fuel. While 
this was doing, I landed with two or three of the passen- 
gers, and proceeded to the huts just mentioned. We 
found there only a white man and two negro women ; 
the latter inhabiting one of the huts, and the former 
lodged in a sort of barn, open to the four winds, except 
at one extremity, which was boarded off, and served as a 
bed-chamber. The man was a sort of commandant in the 
place. He had erected a flag-staff close by his dwelling, 
and wore a cockade as an indication of his authority. He 
received from the Government a salary of eight hundred 
dollars for remaining there, but was now, he said, pretty 
nearly tired of the solitude of the place and of the insig- 
nificance of his office, and was about to resign. All his 
furniture consisted of a truckle-bed, a few stools for chairs, 
and a rude table of rough boards. There was a ham- 
mock suspended from the beams of the roof, a rusty fowl- 
ing-piece in one corner, and a fishing-net in another. He 
had some pigs and plenty of poultry, who had the range 
of the house, and seemed quite at home in it. He also 
had a kitchen garden, which I looked into and found well 
stocked with plantains, pumpkins, and other vegetables. 
In one of the largest huts, or rather in a large shed sup- 
ported by upright shafts, there was a quantity of boards 
and shingles, which had been procured by the Govern- 
ment and sent thither for the erection of houses. But 
there was now no probability that this lumber would be 
used for the purpose for which it was intended, or for any 
other, as it was in such a state of decay as to be almost 
useless. We remained in this Robinson Crusoe establish- 
ment only a short while, the mosquitoes becoming so 
troublesome, that we were glad to return to the vessel. 

The quantity of wood required having been now taken 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 43 

in, we started again, and shaped our course for the mouth 
of the river Izabal. About mid-day we arrived off the bar 
of this river, where troubles of a different description, but 
not less annoying than those we had encountered in the 
beginning, M'-ere awaiting us. The captain and pilot en- 
tered into a debate with each other in regard to the 
proper course to steer for passing the bar. In the mean 
time the boat was left to the management of the helms- 
man, and when it was least expected, she ran aground. 
The blame of this was thrown upon each other by the 
parties concerned, without any effort being made, for some 
time, to get her off. At length, the force of the steam 
proving inadequate to move the vessel either backwards 
or forwards, a kedge anchor was carried out, and after a 
world of labour on the part of the poor sailors, who now 
made amends for all their faults, she was hauled into deep 
water, and once more put in motion. But our satisfaction 
at the success of this manoeuvre was not destined to be of 
lonsr duration. A few moments after, the boat ran asfround 
again, and stuck so hard and fast, that neither power of 
steam, nor warping with kedge anchor, availed to set her 
afloat. The pilot tried to console us by the assurance, 
that at four o'clock — it being then two — it would be high 
tide, and she would certainly get off. But four o'clock 
came, and the boat was still aground, as fast as ever. He 
then said that he had been mistaken as to the hour, and 
that at six o'clock it would be high tide. This assurance 
proved as fallacious as the first, for that hour, too, elapsed 
without any change in our position. We now came 
unanimously to the conclusion that our pilot was a per- 
fect charlatan : an opinion which was subsequently con- 
firmed, when we learned that in that part of the coast 
there was no tide at all. At the approach of night a 
breeze sprung up, and the water began to rise in waves. 
It was then resolved to hoist the square-sail, and to try by 
the combined power of wind and steam to drag the vessel 
over the bar. This was put in practice, and proved sue- 



44 



NARRATIVE OF A 



cessful, for after awhile she began to yield to the powerful 
impulse thus given, and moved a little, then went ahead, 
and at length, though not without a good deal of thump- 
ing and dragging, passed the bar. 

During the detention incurred by the orroundinsr of the 
boat, I made another visit on shore, as well from curiosity 
as for the sake of procuring vegetables and fruit. On 
an elevated spot near the mouth of the river, and in a 
romantic situation, there is a little village consisting of 
forty or fifty huts, shaded by cocoa-nut trees. Thither I 
proceeded with two of the passengers, and found the 
place inhabited entirely by negroes, of the class called, as 
I have elsewhere observed, Carihes. We entered one of 
the best-looking huts, which we were told was the dwell- 
ing of the Alcalde, or civil magistrate, and found there an 
old negro lying sick in a hammock. He seemed glad to 
see us, and addressed to us a few words in a language 
almost unintelligible, being a mixture of French, Spanish, 
and English ; but we made out that he had been for some 
time suffering from an afiection of the lungs, and would 
take it as a great favour if we would recommend some- 
thing for his relief. It is proper to remark here, that the 
country-people in Central America look upon every fo- 
reigner as a doctor, and place implicit faith in his pre- 
scriptions. One of us did prescribe to him, but whether 
to a good or a bad purpose, I cannot pretend to say. As 
I had no part in this, my conscience has never troubled 
me on the subject. The old man had a little image of 
Nuestra Senora del Rosario suspended from his neck. 
He was a great devotee of the virgin of this name, and 
counted largely upon her favour and protection. He also 
wore a little bag containing a relic of some saint, in 
which, too, he had great faith. The cabin he lived in — 
like all the others — was built of mud and cane reeds, and 
thatched with palm leaves, with only one door, and no 
windows. Though the largest in the village, it could not 
have exceeded fifteen feet square in extent. His furniture 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 45 

could not be more poor and homely ; the only seat I was 
able to procure, being a barrel set on end. My compan- 
ions accommodated themselves on an old chest. He in- 
sisted on our taking something to drink, and gave us 
some gin and water out of a calabash. He then, agreea- 
bly to our request, gave directions for the people to bring 
to him whatever fruit or vegetables they could spare ; and 
in a short time, a much larger quantity than we wanted 
was supplied. This we procured for a mere trifle. We 
also obtained from the Alcalde a couple of fowls, for 
which he refused for some time taking any compensation. 
The two articles we most wished for — milk and wheat 
bread — could not be procured : the first they only had at 
certain seasons of the year; the other was a luxury ut- 
terly unknown there. 

On our way back, we took a better view of the hamlet, 
and were pleased with its picturesque and primitive ap- 
pearance. There was a fine spring of fresh Avater gushing 
out from the rocks in a shady place. The huts were scat- 
tered round without any order, each with one or two cocoa 
trees in front to protect it from the sun, and a patch of 
cultivated ground in the rear for raising vegetables. The 
inhabitants of either sex wore scarcely any clothing. We 
saw nobody at work, though it was not a holyday ; yet 
they looked quite happy and free from care ; and in this 
quiet and secluded state, apart from the rest of the world, 
they seemed to live forgetting and forgotten. 



46 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER VII. 

The River of Izabal. — Mr. M. — An Exploring Excursion. — The Lake. — 
Don Valentin. — Remarks on Izabal. — Don Jos^. — The Grave of an 
American. 

It was late in the evening before our vessel gained the 
mouth of the Izabal. This river takes its rise in a great 
fresh water lake called Golfo dulce, and pursues a mean- 
dering course for some fifty miles, before falling into the 
sea. At the head of that lake is situated the town of Iza- 
bal, the port of our destination. The entrance to this 
river is scarcely discernible, even in the day-time, to an 
unpractised eye, till within about a hundred yards of it, 
when an opening is perceived in the mountains like the 
mouth of an immense cavern. The effect, as we ap- 
proached it in the night, was still more striking ; a starry 
sky affording just light enough to guide us on our path, 
but not sufficient to make objects distinctly visible. On 
entering the opening just mentioned, we seemed penetra- 
tinof into the bowels of the earth. On each side of us 
towered the lofty and precipitous mountains that form the 
banks of the river ; and immediately in front rose a high 
land, dark and frowning, as if to debar completely our 
further progress. Towards this land, which appeared to 
recede as we advanced, the boat kept her way, steadily and 
at a good rate, for a full half hour, with her bows ap- 
parently not more than half a cable's length distant from 
it. There were moments when I trembled lest she should 
run against it, and be dashed to pieces. But this interpo- 
sition of land was only an illusion, caused by the windings 
of the river, and heightened by the confused appearance 
of objects in the night. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 47 

About midnight the moon rose, and the effect of her 
pale silvery hght on the trees and the water was beautiful 
beyond description. I could now see objects more dis- 
tinctly, and felt satisfied that if there is anything pictu- 
resque, beautiful, and sublime in nature, it must be the 
entrance to this river. The banks rise to a height of from 
two to three hundred feet, and are clothed with a rich and 
impenetrable foliage, the branches of the trees spreading 
several yards over the water. In some places this foliage 
suddenly disappears, and a vast naked rock, smooth and 
flat, and perfectly perpendicular, rises like a stupendous 
wall, at the foot of which the depth of water admits of a 
vessel, brushing the very face of the precipice without 
danger. Here and there may be seen a rill of water, as 
clear as crystal, coursing from top to bottom of this natu- 
ral wall, or gushing out from a fissure in its side. At 
other places, a group of rocks assumes the appearance of 
an old castle or ruinous fortification. The stream varies 
in width from a hundred and fifty to three hundred feet, 
and is in many places thirty fathoms deep. It is dotted at 
intervals with little islands covered with reeds ; and the 
sharp turnings it makes, give continual interest and vari- 
ety to the sceneiy. 

As we proceeded, the noise of the water thrown up by 
the paddles startled the tenants of this beautiful wilder- 
ness ; and every now and then we heard a plunge, like 
that of an alligator, or an otter, seeking the deepest re- 
cesses of the river, or the scream of an aquatic bird flying 
across the stream: the only sounds that disturbed the 
silence of this solitary scene. 

In the course of the night the boat stopped at a little 
fort called San Felipe, to take in fuel. During this deten- 
tion I allowed myself a little rest, but was up again the 
next morning by daylight, when I found that the boat was 
not yet ready to start. The scene around, illuminated by 
the first rays of the sun, appeared to me even more striking 
and beautiful than when I had beheld it by moonlight. 



48 NARRATIVE OF A 

The lofty and umbrageous trees exhibited every variety 
of green, from the deepest tint to the lightest, and were 
alive with singing birds, while parrots and mackaws kept 
up a continued scream. Now and then a monkey would 
show himself, for an instant, swinging by his tail from a 
twig, or leaping from branch to branch. The little fort, 
with its ruinous battlements, could be seen partly reflected 
in the water, the surface of which was skimmed by the 
alcatrazes intent on their prey, and seemingly unconscious 
of our presence. 

The beauty of the opposite banks attracted my atten- 
tion ; and resolving to explore them, I got into a little skiff 
with Mr. M., an English gentleman and a fellow-passen- 
ger, and paddled towards them. In our progress along 
the shore, the first discovery we made was a cavern formed 
by a ledge of rock, projecting over the water, and suffi- 
ciently large to permit our little boat to enter it. Its sides 
were covered with moss and fern, but we saw no object of 
interest, except some fish, which our approach frightened 
away from the cool retreat they had selected. We then 
completely circumnavigated a little island. Further on 
we discovered a small cove, or recess, formed by an ine- 
quality in the bank, where the water was perfectly clear, 
with a clean sandy bottom, while the projecting branches 
formed a canopy of rich foliage, impenetrable to the sun. 
There were other places along the shore similar to that 
just described. These romantic spots seemed a fit abode 
for water-nymphs, or Naiads, and I almost wondered not 
to see any sporting in the water. When I contemplated 
these retreats, so cool, so shady and secluded, I remem- 
bered the poet of Mantua, when he exclaimed, 

" Oh, qui me gelidis in vallibus Hsemi 
Sistat, et ingenti ramonim protegat umbrci !" 

— and thought that here he would have found all that he 
sighed for, and that perhaps he would have preferred the 
shady banks of the Izabal to the cool vallies of Haemus. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 49 

At the fort of San Felipe, which is a minouls and almost 
useless fortification, a soldier was put on board our vessel. 
This was done agreeably to the regulations of the Cus- 
toms, in order to prevent smuggling. After leaving this 
place, and proceeding about twelve miles, we reached the 
point where the river spreads, and forms a lake of some 
twenty miles in circumference, called the lagunilla^ of 
little lake, to distinguish it from the lagima, or great lake 
of Izabal. Here we saAv a number of little islands of from 
five to ten acres in extent, covered with a species of cane' 
or rieed peculiar to the country, the resemblance of which 
to Indian corn gave to them the appearance of being cul- 
tivated. But, in reality, there were no signs of cultivation 
around us, nor could any human habitation be seen, either 
on the banks of the river or on the islands just mentioried. 
Birds and fish and reptiles seemed to be the sole lol'ds of 
this wild domain. 

After crossing the little lake, we came to the lake pro- 
per, where an immense sheet of water, extending to a cir- 
cumference of not less than ninety miles, assumes the aSp- 
pearance of a little sea ; the distant mountains being only 
dimly visible in some places,- while, in others, a perfect 
horizon is formed. 

We anchored before Izabal on the 10th of Msy. It was 
not without some misgivings as to the state of things on 
shore that we proceeded to land. We were by no means 
sure that the place was not in possession of the insurgent 
Indians, and the risk of falling into th^ir hands the mo- 
ment we touched the beach, was far frbm being agreeable j 
but happily,- these apprehensions were soon dispelled. I 
had fortunately been provided by my Spanish friend iit 
Balize, Don Francisco, with a letter of introduction to liis> 
correspondent in this place. This letter I presented as- 
soon as I landed to Don Valentin * * *, the person to whon* 
it was addressed. He received me with marks of unaf- 
fected hospitality ) and, as dinner v/as in the process of 
7 



50 NARRATIVE OF A 

being served up, made me take a seat at the table, where 
four or five strangers, besides Mr. M. and myself, partook 
of the abundant cheer that was spread before us. 

Here, as in all parts of Central America, hotels or pub- 
lic houses are unknown. The traveller must therefore 
be provided with letters of introduction for every place 
he goes to. Yet these are not always indispensable ; hos- 
pitality seems a matter of course ; lodgings for a night are 
solicited without much diffidence, and in almost all cases 
are cheerfully accorded. Remuneration is neither asked 
nor expected. Even persons of limited means manifest 
an unwillingness to receive money in return for services 
of this kind. No objection, however, is made to compen- 
sation in the form of presents. A segar being, as some 
one has justly observed, the shortest road to the heart of 
a Spaniard, whether of the old or the new world, a few 
bunches of these will always prove acceptable to your 
host. A cheap pair of pistols, or a dagger, would of course 
be still more highly prized. A silk kerchief, of some 
showy pattern, will be esteemed by the housekeeper a 
handsome compliment ; and if there are children in the 
family, a necklace of beads, or something equivalent, will 
make them supremely happy. It would seem that inns 
and taverns are the bane of hospitality, for this virtue cer- 
tainly does not flourish in so great a degree where those 
establishments abound, as elsewhere, and so mutatis mu- 
tandis. Why none exist in the country, it is not in my 
power satisfactorily to explain. Perhaps as civilization 
progresses there, their utility will become apparent. 

During dinner an animated conversation was kept up, 
which, however, did not in the least interfere with the 
eating; for most of the guests talked incessantly, without 
losing a mouthful. As soon as this repast was disposed 
of, I retired from the table, and seeing two or three ham- 
mocks hanging from the roof, took possession of one ; and 
with an old newspaper in one hand, and a segar in the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA, 51 

Other, I smoked and read, and swung myself, with the cool 
breeze of the lake breathing on me, till I fairly fell asleep.* 

Don Valentin is a sort of patroon, a little great man in 
the place, and is looked up to with respect even by the 
Commandant. His dwelling is a goodly house of wood, 
the frame of which was brought from the United States, 
but is constructed rather in the Spanish taste, the sala, or 
parlour, being almost the whole house. It is the resting- 
place of strangers of respectability, and the resort of the 
better class of the natives. He has, however, a powerful 
rival in another merchant, called Don Candido * * *, who 
is perhaps more wealthy, and is, in like manner, liberal in 
the entertainment of his friends. The houses occupied by 
these two persons are the only ones deserving the name ; 
the others being little better than mud cabins, thatched 
with leaves. 

In the course of a walk in the afternoon, I took a pass- 
ing view of the town ; but seeing nothing in it to interest 
me, I turned my steps to the mountain that commands it, 
and ascended to a spot where the roots of an old tree af- 
forded a pleasant resting-place. Here a fine view is ob- 
tained of the lake and of the surrounding country. Be- 
fore me were scattered the thatched roofs of Izabal, and on 
each side, as far as the eye could reach, might be seen a 
series of mountains, towering over each other, and piled 
up like Pehon upon Ossa. How deeply I regretted not 
being an adept at drawing, to have made a sketch of the 
scene before me ! Yet it was not without defects. No 
vessels were to be seen on the lake, with the solitary ex- 
ception of the steamboat ; no signs of cultivation, not a 

* I call this the sea breeze, though coming over the lake, because it 
blows inland from the coast. The sea breeze is one of the well known 
phenomena of low latitudes. It blows invariably from the East; and 
setting in about 9 A. M., continues till sunset. Its influence is felt in 
the interior at a later hour, and becomes less tlio greater the distance 
from the coast. 



52 NARRATIVE OF A 

hamlet nor a house were visible on the land, save the little 
town beneath me. 

When I considered the natural advantages of this coun- 
try, I could not but lament that so little had been done by 
human industry to improve them. The idea, however, 
suggested itself, that some day this lake, now little better 
than a watery desert, might be traversed in every direction 
by steamboats and sailing vessels engaged in profitable 
trade ; when the country around, instead of being encum- 
bered with a wild and useless vegetation, might smile 
with fields of corn, and the neat cottage of the peasant, the 
thriving hamlet, and even the flourishing town, enliven 
the quietude of these solitary shores. 

At present, the only town, besides Izabal, along the 
whole circumference of the lake, is Verapaz; the only 
shipping is one steamboat and half a dozen sloops, and 
the only trade carried on is the importation of part of 
the foreign goods eonsuraed in the interior, and the ex- 
portation of the productions of the country, which are 
exchanged for them. It is proper, however, to remark, 
in justice to the natives, that the natural advantages 
before alluded to are in some degree counteracted by cir- 
cumstances over which they have no control. The 
unhealthiness of the -climate in the neighbourhood of 
the lake, is a powerful check to the increase of popu- 
lation in Izabal- Another great obstacle to the pros- 
perity of the placa exists in the mountainous and 
rugged nature of the country, which renders the con- 
struction of roads exce«lingly difficult and expensive. 
That leading to the capital is a mere mule path. It 
is, therefore, on mule-back that they transport their 
goods from the coast to the interior, or from the latter 
to the former. The expense and labour attending this 
mode of conveyance will easily be conceived. The 
time required for the performance of a journey, is 
another consideration ; the distance travelled by a load- 



JOURKEY to GUATEMALA. 53 

ed mule during a whole day, being scarcely that which 
a rail-car would advance in half an hour. 

My first inquiries on arriving at Izabal were in 
reference to the political state of the country, and the 
chances of reaching the capital without being mo- 
lested. On this subject I obtained but little informa- 
tion, except, indeed, that the insurrection had not 
reached that part of the country. The tranquillity 
of the neighbourhood had not been disturbed, but of 
the occurrences in the interior no late intelligence had 
been received. 

After duly considering the circumstances of the case, 
Mr, M., the English gentleman with whom during 
our passage in the steamboat I had formed an inti- 
macy, and myself, resolved to undertake the journey. 
A Spanish gentleman and merchant, Don Jose * * *, 
whom we met with at Don Valentin's, was induced 
to join the party. He had a quantity of goods with 
him sufficient to load a dozen mules, and was desirous, 
in the furtherance of his commercial pursuits, of pro- 
ceeding to Guatemala. 

The first step was to procure the necessary number 
of mules. This, after a couple of days, was accom- 
plished ; and all other preparations being now made, 
we were ready to commence our journey. 

Previously to leaving Izabal, I felt it in some sort 
a duty to visit a spot calculated to inspire the most 
melancholy reflections. It was the grave of Mr. Shan- 
non, formerly Charge d'Aflaires of the United States 
to Guatemala, and his niece. This gentleman had 
arrived at Izabal, with his wife and the young lady 
just mentioned, on his way to the capital. They had 
scarcely set foot on shore, when a sad instance oc- 
curred of the mortiferous nature of the climate here, 
not inferior, in this respect, to that of Balize. The 
niece, a young and blooming girl, full of health, was 
attacked by the fever peculiar to the country, and in 



54 NARRATIVE OF A 

forty-eight hours after was a lifeless corpse. The sud- 
denness of this catastrophe produced such an effect on 
Mr. Shannon, as to disturb his mental faculties. He 
became delirious, was seized with the fever, and, in 
like manner, fell a victim two days after he was at- 
tacked. I will leave the reader to conceive the dis- 
tress, the grief, the despair of Mrs. Shannon, when she 
found herself, in the short space of three or four days, 
bereaved of the two objects dearest to her in life. I 
will leave him to form an idea of her situation, alone 
in a foreign country, without any knowledge of the 
language, without a friend to console her, or even the 
means of performing in a proper manner the last du- 
ties that we owe to departed friends ; the circumstances 
of the place precluding the possibility of a funeral 
solemnity. 

The interment of these two unfortunate persons was 
attended to by Don Candido in the night-time, and 
by torch-light, with the assistance of a few of his 
friends. The bodies were deposited in a spot which 
he had set apart as a burial-place for his own 
family. The graves are only distinguishable by a 
slight elevation of the earth, and a few trees that have 
been planted there, but there is no stone or monumen- 
tal record whatever to point them out to a stranger. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 55 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Preparations for Travellinfr, — Passage of " the Mountain." — An Encoun- 
ter. — The " Arroyo del Muerto." — A Repast in the Woods. — The Ran- 
chcria. — Don Jos6 a Philosopher. 

We rose early on the 12th of May, to enter upon the 
lon^ and difficult journey that lay before us. My prepa- 
rations, and those of Mr. M., were soon brought to a con- 
clusion. Such was not the case with our Spanish friend 
and companion, Don Jose. The caparisons of his mule 
alone, consisted of such a variety of articles, that no lit- 
tle time and ingenuity were required for their arrange- 
ment. After putting into the animal's mouth three or 
four pounds of iron in the shape of a bit, a sheep's skin of 
fine long wool, dyed blue, was thrown over a ponderous 
Mexican saddle, and the whole fastened on by sundry 
girths and straps. This saddle was secured, in front, by 
a poiii'el, or broad strap, rudely embroidered with silk of 
various colours, and behind by a crupper of the same 
description. The saddle-bow was graced with a pair of 
heavy horse-pistols, and on each side was suspended a 
goat's skin with the hair on, reaching from the shoulders 
of the mule to her knees. These skins were called 
armas de agua, and their object is to protect the legs of 
the rider from the rain. 

The equipment of Don Jose himself was a riding- 
dress of serge, a broad-brimmed Panama hat, a pair of 
heavy plated spurs, and a sort of gaiters called rodilleras, 
consisting of two pieces of fine calf-skin wrapped round 
the lower part of the legs, and secured under the Imees 
by a piece of coloured tape. 

In fine, Don Jose looked so well and so grand, that 



56 NARRATIVE OF A 

Mr. M. and myself almost felt ashamed of the plainness 
of our appearance. Even my mule seemed uneasy at 
the simplicity of her furniture ; and, in fact, as she had 
nothing on but a common, though new, English saddle 
and bridle, there was something strange and ludicrous 
about her that did not fail to excite the risibility of the 
natives. 

The baggage mules, and those that carried the goods 
of Don Jose, being now laden and ready, we took leave 
of Don Valentin, and departed on our journey, preceded 
by our guide, a tall, swarthy fellow, well mounted, with 
dagger in belt, no shoes or stockings^ and an awful pair 
of spurs on his naked heels. Our road lay across the 
mountain which overlooks the town,- and ovet a rough 
and rocky ground, the difficulties of which are increased 
by the abruptness of the acclivity. Before commen- 
cing the ascent, we had to follow fot some time the chan- 
nel of a mountain torrent, where^ though there was not 
much water at the time, there was such an abundance of 
loose stones, that the mules scarcely knew where to set 
their feet. We then proceeded up the side of the moun- 
tain by a narrow winding path, which the trunks of 
fallen trees rendered almost impassable in some places, 
while, in others, it was so steep^ that our beasts were in 
danger of rolling down the mountain : an accident which 
was very near happening, for one of the mules actually 
lost her footing, and fell back with her load to the 
ground and her feet in the air. Fortunately she was 
saved from further harm by an intervening tree, and pre- 
vented from carrying the hinder animals along with her 
in her falL Sometimes the path would diverge into va- 
rious ramifications, when the voice and the lash of the 
muleteer were exerted to prevent the convoy from going 
astray. Now and then, on coming to a rocky place, it 
would assume the appearance of broken stairs. The 
agility of the mules in clambering up these rugged places 
was remarkable, while the care with which they picked 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 57 

out their way, avoiding the holes and loose stones, and 
never moving a foot till they had secured a firm stepping 
for it, was a proof of their patience and sagacity that 
struck me with surprise. 

On these occasions, the rider, if he is wise, will be 
careful not to meddle with his mule, but will tie the 
reins of her neck and abandon himself to her discretion. 
For my part, I had enough to do, in another way, with- 
out attending to the mule, since I was kept a great part 
of the time drawing up my legs to avoid the projecting 
rocks, and bobbing my head to save it from the branches. 

The density of the trees was also a great obstruction 
to our progress ; the mules, with all their sagacity, run- 
ning against them with their loads, and sometimes get- 
ting jammed between two trees, so as to be prevented 
from moving either backwards or forwards. Then 
might be heard the angry muleteer rating his beast for 
carelessness ; and the words, " Ah inula ! ah lerda ! li- 
bra, libra .'" (oh mule ' oh stupid ! stop, stop !) would 
echo through the woods. The word libra is also used 
when a mule is required to make room for another to 
pass ahead. 

As we continued up the mountain, the features of this 
sylvan wilderness became more and more picturesque and 
grand. Groups of rocks of various and fantastic forms 
hung over our heads, as if ready to fall and crush us, or 
rose up in our path, obliging us to make a tedious cir- 
cuit. Now a deep ravine must be crossed, and now a 
precipice must be passed within a few feet of its edge. 
Gigantic trees reared their heads in the vallies below, 
and on the heights above, while others, of smaller size, 
grouped together at intervals, looked like little groves 
planted by the hand of man. Nature was here exhibited 
in her most wild and majestic form. The lofty pine was 
there, and the mahogany, and knotty ceyba, and the 
palm tree, the pride of the Tropics. Of tlie latter there 
were many varieties, some rising to a height of fifty feet, 
8 



58 NARRATIVE OF A 

with a strait smooth trunk not bigger than a man's arm. 
Of birds there was a vast number, especially parrots. 
The Cropendola, and the Sinsonte, a species of nightingale, 
were remarkable for the softness and clearness of their 
note. The American raven, called Sopilote, hovered 
around us, or, perched on some rocky peak, eyed wist- 
fully our panting beasts as they toiled up the mountain- 
side, in the hope that some of them might fall from ex- 
haustion, and, by expiring, afford him and the rest of the 
flock a luxurious feast.* The great number of these 
birds is a proof of the frequent occurrence of these acci- 
dents. Indeed, we, in several places, saw whitening in 
the sun the bones of some poor mule which had dropped 
down dead in the passage over this mountain. 

We were about four hours in reaching the summit. 
On arriving there, I turned for a moment to view the 
country we had left behind. We seemed to be walking 
on the tops of trees, a labyrinth of woods, and rocks and 
mountains, lay beneath us, and I was astonished at what 
we had accomplished. 

We were on the point of commencing the descent on 

* This species of raven, called Sopilote, is held in much esteem by the 
Spanish Americans, from its usefulness. It lives on carrion, and performs 
the part of a public scavenger. Without this bird, the vast quantities of 
animal matter exposed in the woods and fields, after death, would infect 
the air, and produce distempers. It is asserted that in each flock there is 
one bird enjoying a superiority over the rest, and called by the natives the 
Alcalde. He obtains the first morsel at every feast ; the other ravens 
never presuming to taste their food till the Alcalde has commenced. The 
Sopilotes never make any living animal their prey, and scrupulously ab- 
stain from touching any thing while there is a spark of life in it. I have 
seen a party of them standing round a dying horse — like so many doctors 
round a sick man's bed — and anxiously awaiting the moment when the 
animal should breathe his last. There is another species of raven, which 
follows in the track of the Sopilote, It is called the Quiebra-huesos, or 
Bone-cracker, from its feeding upon the bones which are left by the other 
bird. These it prefers to the flesh ; and the facility with which it breaks 
and eats them, is remarkable. Thus these two birds, by co-operating with 
each other, not only soon dispose of a dead animal, but cause all vestige of 
it to disappear. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 59 

the Other side of the mountain, when we heard the cries 
of muleteers and the tramp of mules at a little distance 
before us. A few minutes after, we fell in with a caravan 
coming- in the direction we were going ; and before any 
thing could be done to prevent it, both parties were 
mixed up together. Now, let the reader picture to him- 
self the mules jostling and getting foul of each other, 
falling down, or running out of the path into the woods, 
the drivers lashing and cursing them, and trying in vain 
to set them right, and he will have an idea of the trouble 
and confusion that ensued. After a while, however, order 
being restored, we resumed our march, and commenced 
descending. The country that lay before us was of a 
character analogous to that we had passed, only with less 
declivity, and presented a succession of woody heights 
and deep glens as far as the eye could reach. The 
ground, in hollow places, was moist and slippery, though 
it had not rained for some time before. Some of the 
passes, too, which were steep and rocky, were not with- 
out their difficulties and dangers. I had every reason to 
be satisfied with the beast which had been procured for 
me, for, I think, she never even stumbled once ; and this 
is the more remarkable, since having dismounted in some 
places that appeared to me dangerous, I fell down twice 
in spite of all my care. 

The sun had passed the meridian, when we came to a 
romantic spot, where a copious stream, foaming and 
brawling over its rocky channel, pursued a winding 
course towards the vallies. This stream was called El 
arroyo del muerto. A shady recess on the banks, where 
Nature had spread a carpet of the fiinest green sward, was 
pointed out by our guide, and here the caravan came to a 
halt ; for our beasts and ourselves were much fatigued, 
and in want of some refreshment. Our mules, without 
waiting to be relieved of their burdens, rushed into the 
stream, and took a long and copious draught. We, too, 
were glad to indulge in the liquid element, and drank of 



60 



NARRATIVE OF A 



it in all its purity. A manta, or blanket, was now spread 
upon the grass, and our stock of provisions was pro- 
duced. This department had been particularly attended 
to by Don Jose. A good-sized ham, two cold fowls, some 
hard-boiled eggs, and a little jar of olives, were the com- 
ponent materials of this rustic repast, which, I am sure, 
every one thought a feast. There were also a few bot- 
tles of tolerable Catalonia wine ; and our English com- 
rade, Mr. M., treated us to a taste of good Cognac from 
a flask which he wore suspended from his shoulder. We 
took our seats upon the ground, each armed with his 
dagger, or some formidable weapon very much like one, 
but without forks or spoons, and, I think, only two 
glasses for the whole of us. The mirth and gayety of 
the party, the pleasantness of the spot, and the wild- 
ness and beauty of the natural scenery around us, gave a 
zest to this repast that made it one of the most delightful 
I ever partook of. The group we formed, as we sat, or 
lay, on the grass, with our mules grazing round us, the 
variety and singularity of the dresses, and the display of 
weapons of various kinds, gave us very much the appear- 
ance of a party oifacciosos^ or brigands, or a band of the 
gens non sancta of the insurgent Garrera. 

Our meal was soon ended, and the fragments of the 
feast were quickly disposed of by the arrieros, or muleteer. 
The loads and baggage were now replaced on the mules ; 
we mounted again, forded the stream, and continued our 
journey. Our path lay, as before, through a mountainous 
and woody country, and we pursued our way over rocky 
heights and down verdant glens, now clambering up a 
steep acclivity, now descending by an abrupt slope into a 
valley, crossing ravines, and threading defiles, till about 
five o'clock in the afternoon. By this time we had reached 
an open space in the mountains, in the middle of which 
was a group of huts, with good pasture around, and plenty 
of water. This spot was called the Rancheria de los 
Pozos. A rancheria is any place where a traveller may 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 61 

procure food for his cattle, and a roof to protect him from 
the dews of the night or the heat of the sun. We had 
now accomplished the most arduous part of our task, and 
surmounted the great difficulty attending a journey into 
the interior : we had fairly passed the great mountain be- 
liind Izabal, called Montana del Mico, and generally, as it 
were, par excellence, denominated simply the mountain. 
We had achieved in one short day's journey, what some- 
times requires two or three days. Indeed, there are times, 
especially in the rainy season, when the passage of this 
mountain is utterly impracticable, owing to the deep mire 
and pools of water that obstruct the road ; and cases have 
occurred of muleteers having been compelled to abandon 
their loads in the woods for several days, till the weather 
afforded an opportunity to return for them. In our case 
the weather had been excellent ; and as it had not rained 
for some time previously, the road, almost every where, 
was perfectly dry. 

The few cottages or huts composing the Rancheria, 
were built of mud and cane, and thatched with leaves. 
One of the best was cleared out for the accommodation of 
Don Jose, Mr. M. and myself. A sort of shanty, or roof 
supported by posts, served as a place of deposit for the 
merchandize and the baggage. The mules were turned 
out into the plain to take care of themselves, which, from 
the abundance of pasturage, they could easily do. These 
arrangements being made, the next consideration was to 
procure something for supper, since our only meal, thus 
far, had been the one at the arroyo del muerto. This ob- 
ject, however, proved to be one of difficult attainment. 
There was nothing in the place but frigoles, or black 
beans, and a few tortillas, or corn cakes. The provisions 
we had been supplied with at Izabal, had been consumed 
to the last fragment. This was the first taste I had of the 
troubles and privations to which a traveller is subject in 
this wild and half-civilized queirter of the world, Don 
Jose put the best face he could upon the matter. A genu- 



62 NARRATIVE OF A 

ine Spaniard, under every reverse, consoles himself by a 
no hay remedio, or a no importa, and illustrates his case 
by some appropriate proverb. " No hay remedio," (There 
is no help,) said he, "a buena hambre no hay pan duro," 
(with a good appetite all bread is soft.) Thereupon, he 
gave directions for cooking the beans, which were first 
boiled and then fried with lard, and seasoned with salt and 
pepper. The tortillas were warmed, and we sat down to 
this humble and frugal meal with a good will ; for, with 
the exercise we had taken, and the pure air of the moun- 
tain, our appetites had returned. The brandy flask of our 
English friend, which had survived the rude attacks made 
upon it in the morning, now fairly gave up the ghost : a 
catastrophe which, under the circumstances, we could not 
but lament. 

We then disposed ourselves for sleep. The arrieros 
stretched themselves out on the bales and boxes under 
the shanty, or on the bare ground in the open air. Don 
Jose and Mr. M. slung their hammocks, and were soon 
comfortably settled. But this was a mode of resting I had 
not yet learnt, and which can only be rendered agreeable 
by custom. I unrolled the leopard's skin given me in 
Truxillo, and spread it on the ground. With my cloak 
over this, to serve as a mattress, and with my saddle for a 
pillow, I flattered myself that my bed would not be infe- 
rior to those of my fellow-travellers. I may have been 
mistaken, for it certainly was not a very soft one. Never- 
theless, I soon fell into a profound sleep, which I enjoyed 
without interruption till the calls of the arriero, and the 
light of the sun beaming bright through the chinks and 
crannies of the hut, gave warning that it was time for us 
to depart. No time was lost in getting ready, for the sun 
was already high in the horizon. The baggage and other 
mules were laden ; we mounted again, and proceeded on 
our journey. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 63 



CHAPTER IX. 

Fording of a River. — The "Hacienda." — A Natural Park. — Apprehen- 
sions on the Road. — Gualan. — A Christening. — The Curate of'Tocoy. — 
The Fiesta. — St. Isidro. — Rural Theatricals. 

Our route led us still through a mountainous tract, but 
less wild and woody, and diversified by the frequent oc- 
currence of little plantations of maize. It was a series of 
hills sloping into picturesque vallies, where some limpid 
rivulet might be seen gleaming through the reeds and 
bushes that fringed its banks. As we proceeded, we de- 
scended into an extensive plain, called the valley of Gua- 
lan ; and here, some ftirther signs of human industry were 
visible in the culture of the soil. An occasional glimpse 
was now obtained of the river Gualan, which traverses 
the plain along a channel worn deep by the rapidity of the 
current. On approaching the banks, which, except at the 
fording-place, are abrupt and precipitous, some doubts 
were entertained as to the practicability of the ford, for 
there was no bridge ; but our guide, pushing his mule into 
the stream, led the way, and was followed by the whole 
party. This, however, from the plunging and splashing 
of the mules, as they waded through, breast high, was not 
accomplished without some difficulty, nor without a little 
wetting. 

From the opposite bank onwards, for a few miles, the 
road gradually ascended, till it terminated in an eminence, 
affording a wide and delightful view of the plain and river 
we had left behind. It was a fair and lovely land, smiling 
with verdant meads and shady groves, where a virgin 
soil, as yet scarcely disturbed by the labours of the hus- 



64 NARRATIVE OF A 

bandman, seemed to hold out to agricultural industry a 
rich reward. 

A little further on, we came to another rancheria, and 
halted for the sake of a little rest and refreshment. Some 
eggs and coffee afforded a tolerable breakfast. 

About five in the afternoon we came to an hacienda, or 
estate, called Iguana, where we resolved to put up for the 
night. The owner of this property was absent ; but the 
steward, who was on the spot, admitted us at once, and 
throwing open the house for our use, left us to take care 
of ourselves. The house was large and commodious, and 
built of cedar. It was partially furnished ; so that we not 
only had chairs and tables, but beds and hammocks. 
Even plates and glasses, and other table furniture, were 
supplied by the steward, when he became satisfied in re- 
gard to the character of his guests. The mules were led 
into a spacious stable, and abundantly supplied with green 
corn-stalks. A couple of fowls fell victims to the necessi- 
ties of my companions and myself; a mess of black beans 
and tortillas was prepared for the coarser appetites of the 
arrieros. 

After dinner, or supper— for it was either, and even 
both — I took a view of the premises. They consisted of 
several out-houses, serving for stables, granaries, and lodg- 
ings for servants, all situated close to the dwelling-house, 
and protected, on the side facing the road, by a rude wall 
of stone, without cement, and a wide gate. There was 
also an enclosed space, called a potrero, for the confining of 
cattle. The grounds were partly woodland, and partly 
cultivated with corn and beans, but the greater portion 
served for pasturage. 

On retiring to rest, I was furnished with a field-bed, or 
cot, and a mattress, and thought it luxury. Don Jose, for 
his own individual use, drew forth from one of his trunks 
a pair of sheets ; but this, Mr. M. and I pretended to con- 
demn as an act of effeminacy, and rallied Don Jose on the 
bad example he was setting. He confessed that the occa- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 65 

sion was not one for indulging in goUerias, (delicacies,) 
and pleaded, as an excuse, his being rather advanced in 
years. 

During the last two days we had come eighteen leagues, 
or fifty-four miles, a distance which is more than is usual- 
ly travelled in that region of rugged and mountainous 
roads in the same space of time. Our object the next day 
was to breakfast at Gualan, a town about three leagues 
distant, where Don Jose had some friends, who, he had 
reason to believe, would receive him with particular 
attention. 

We left the hacienda early the next morning, after re- 
munerating the services of the steward with a small sum, 
which he seemed to take with reluctance. The country 
we now passed through consisted of open plains, covered 
with long grass, and of woody tracts, where again I was 
surprised by the variety and beauty of the trees — some of 
them in blossom, others bearing wild fruits — and by the 
number of birds of brilliant plumage. The most remark- 
able of the trees was one called the chilindron, which 
bears a fruit like a walnut, though ten times as large. 
This fruit is covered with a hard green rind, and its pe- 
culiarity is, that it does not hang from the twigs of the 
tree, like other fruits, but grows out of the trunk and 
larger branches, and so close to the bark, that it looks as if 
placed there artificially. I was not able to ascertain the 
uses of this fruit, which is not eatable, being bitter and un- 
palatable. Neither in regard to the names of the birds, was 
I able to elicit much information from my fellow-travel- 
lers, whose ignorance or indifference about these matters 
was surprising. One species of bird, however, they told 
me was the American jay, the back of which is blue, and 
the breast white ; the neck is encircled by a dark ring, and 
the head surmounted by three little feathers, not unlike 
those in the head of a peacock. 

In the course of this morning's travel we came to a 
plantation of nopal, or cactus, the leaves of which are 
9 



66 NARRATIVE OF A 

about half an inch thick, full of prickles, and very juicy. 
It is on the leaves of this tree that the insect from which 
cochineal is made feeds and propagates. The country 
now was more generally cultivated, and, in many places, 
enclosed by wooden fences or by hedges of the agave 
mexicana, or pita. The river Gualan had to be forded a 
second time, but with less trouble than before. After 
passing the river, we entered upon a beautiful tract of 
land, which had all the appearance of park scenery in 
England. It was an extensive plain, clothed with a fine 
short grass, with here and there a group of tall trees, form- 
ing a delightful grove, perfectly free from underwood. It 
seemed as if we were riding over the grounds of some 
prince or nobleman : the appearance of a few deer, or of 
some stately mansion gleaming through the trees, would 
have made the illusion complete. 

As we approached the town, we passed through various 
rancherias, the inhabitants of which, mostly Indians, were 
employed in the manufacture of jpetates, or mats, of a 
straw peculiar to the country, which they stain of various 
colours : an art in which they display no little ingenuity 
and taste. 

We were within half a mile of Gualan, when we heard 
the report of a gun from the town, and a moment after, 
several more shots were fired in succession. The effect 
upon the whole party was paralysing ; it brought us all 
suddenly to a halt. Were the factious Indians in posses- 
sion of the town ? Would it be safe to advance ? Would 
it not be more prudent to retreat ? Such were the hasty 
reflections of the moment. Happily, our apprehensions 
were removed by a woman who was coming from the 
town, and found us in the midst of consultation. " What 
is the meaning of the firing we hear in the town ?" was 
the question addressed to her. ^'■Es una fiesta^'' (it is a 
festival,) said she, and proceeded on her way. There was 
no reason for distrusting this woman, for she was not an 
Indian, and we resumed our march. As we entered the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 67 

town, guns were popping off in every direction. I turned 
to a lad near me, as he was on the point of cocking his 
gun, and asked him what festival they were celebrating. 
"Es iin bautismo,'' (it is a christening,) said he, and the 
reply was followed by the discharge of his gun, which 
blazed within half a yard of my face. 

Our companion, Don Jose, now conducted us to one of 
the best looking houses in the place. It was the dwelling 
of a friend of his, Don Juan * * *, who received us with 
great kindness and attention. This gentleman united in 
his own person the two professions of farmer and mer- 
chant. His house was full of people. A party of musi- 
cians was playing there, under the directions of a maestro 
de capilla. On a table at one end of the room, was an 
inviting display of cakes, sweetmeats, and bottles of red 
wine. On another table lay scattered the remains of an 
abundant breakfast ; but the partakers had not yet left the 
table. I recollected the wedding of Camacho, and thought 
the inimitable description of that scene by Cervantes was 
here on the point of being realized. 

Don Juan informed us that he had that day christened 
his first-born, and had invited a few friends to celebrate 
the event. He had also furnished the boys of the town 
with powder and crackers, according to the custom of the 
country. We now took seats at the table, and such of the 
dishes as had not been touched were set before us ; the 
other guests retained their seats to keep us company. 
All this time the music was playing in a strain more 
remarkable for loudness than harmony; the boys were 
blazing away in the street, and the newly made Christian 
was squalling at the top of its voice ; so that altogether a 
din was produced which, but for the sound state of our 
nerves, would have been insufferable. 

The breakfast being disposed of, and a reasonable time 
having elapsed in talking and smoking, Don Jose made a 
move towards taking leave and continuing our journey. 
This was met by the decided disapprobation, not only of 



68 NARRATIVE OF A 

Don Juan, but of all his guests. His wife, Dona Cho- 
nita, an amiable brunette, declared we should not leave 
Gualan till the following- morning. To do otherwise 
would be a want of consideration towards herself It 
would also be a want of taste ; since we should lose the 
opportunity of seeing a play that was to be performed that 
night in honour of Saint Isidro, whose festival occurred on 
the following day ; and we should, moreover, be deprived 
of the pleasure of seeing Saint Isidro himself, arrayed in 
his best, upon an altar glittering with lights, and blooming 
with flowers.* 

Don Jose was unable or unwilling to combat the argu- 
ments of our pretty hostess, and cast a look at Mr. M. and 
myself, as if to consult our wishes. It was evident he 
was desirous of remaining. Mr. M. anticipated my con- 
currence, by declaring at once that he was in no hurry to 
depart ; and as his vote gave to Don Jose the majority, 
mine was not required, and it was definitively settled that 
we should stay and enjoy the fiesta. 

In the interval between breakfast and dinner, I went, in 
the company of one of the guests, an ecclesiastic, to take a 
view of the town. It has a thriving appearance, and con- 
tains a population of some three thousand souls. The 
houses are built of solid materials, but consist of only one 
story, according to the general custom of the country. 
The principal street is of a good width, and straight, and 

* The festival of St. Isidro is also one of the favorite celebrations of the 
Inhabitants of Madrid. It occurs on the 15th of May, when vast num- 
bers of people, both from the country and the city, repair to a chapel dedi- 
cated to the Saint, and situated on an eminence about two miles to the 
West of Madrid. On this eminence, — which is a charming spot, afford- 
ing a fine view of the Capitol and of the Manzanares, — and round the 
chapel, a number of booths and stalls are erected for the sale of sweet- 
laeats, refreshments, and toys, as also stages for the performance of jug- 
glers and mountebanks. Dancing, singing, music, and feasting, consti- 
tute the business of the day. St. Isidro is surnamed el labrador (the hus- 
bandman,) from the profession he pursued, and is the patron of agricul. 
tarists. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 69 

passes through the plaza, or square, in the centre of the 
town. This plaza is decorated by a fountain, and con- 
tains the church, as also the ayiiniamiento, or town- 
hall. The town is situated near the banks of the river 
Gualan, and is the largest on the route to the capital. 
Much of the business between the coast and the interior 
passes through the hands of agents residing in this place. 

My companion, the ecclesiastic, was the curate of a 
neighbouring town called Tocoy, and had been com- 
pelled by the political troubles of the times to abandon his 
flock, and take refuge in Gualan. The town where he 
resided had been entered five times by the insurgents un- 
der Carrera, and each time his house had been plundered, 
under the pretext that he was a friend and partisan of the 
Government. The poor curate, thus reduced to utter 
poverty, had found no sympathy among his parishioners, 
and, in a fit of disgust, had left them and the place, with 
the fixed resolution of never returning. 

He seemed, however, by no means dejected by his re- 
verses, and in the afternoon was the first to propose our 
setting out for the place where the fiesta in honor of Saint 
Isidro was to be celebrated. 

About two miles out of town there was a small estate, 
the residence of an old Spanish ofiicer, who had closed his 
military career by coming to Central America and turn- 
ing farmer. He it was who had prepared the fete in 
question ; he had caused the image of the Saint to be 
transferred from the church to his house, and had even 
composed some verses on the occasion. Don Juan and 
his friends having been invited, a party was formed of 
three ladies and nine gentlemen, including my two trav- 
elling companions and myself. We went on horseback, 
and took with us the maestro de capilla and his band. 
Dona Chonita rode in an English saddle on a spirited 
horse, which she managed with considerable skill. Her 
dress was not a riding habit, but a short silk gown, a hat 
with a profusion of black feathers, and a sort of scarf, 



70 NARRATIVE OF A 

called rebozo, thrown over one shoulder, and wound 
round the waist. The other ladies were equipped in a 
similar manner. The gentlemen were all mounted on 
good horses, or mules, gaily caparisoned, and wore light 
summer jackets of silk or cotton, and straw hats. Each 
carried a dagger, stuck in a sash of some gay coloured 
silk, and some had holsters and pistols. The curate rode 
a splendid mule, almost the only part of his property that 
had been left him by the insurgents. The beauty of this 
animal attracted my notice, and I remarked to one of the 
party nearest me, that I had never seen a curate, either in 
old Spain or in that country, whose mule was not an ex- 
cellent one. This remark, which was founded on expe- 
rience, was seized upon by the rest of the party, who ral- 
lied the curate on the attention which those of his cloth 
invariably pay to their individual comforts and conve- 
niences. 

We proceeded at a good rate, and I had reason to ad- 
mire the graceful and fearless manner with which the 
ladies managed their horses. Dona Chonita, who had a 
spice of mischief in her character, seeing me mounted on 
a pony, which I had taken in preference to my mule, 
with my feet only a few inches from the ground, indulged 
in a few witticisms at my expense ; and not satisfied with 
that, seemed resolved to put my skill in horsemanship to 
the proof. Bidding me keep by her side, she said, 
" vamos corriendo" (let us run) ; and off she started, with 
her horse at the top of his speed. I followed, and away 
we went, up hill and down dale, over rough and smooth, 
to the imminent risk of our necks. For my part, I ex- 
pected every moment that my pony would stumble, and 
that I should roll with him to the ground, and be run 
over by those who came galloping behind. Happily, 
nothing of the kind occurred, and we arrived in safety at 
the hacienda, or estate. 

The first object that met our view on entering the 
house, was the image of Saint Isidro. It was placed on 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 71 

a temporary altar, ornamented with bouquets of wild 
flowers, and wax tapers burning in plated candlesticks. 
The ladies, on coming into the presence of the Saint, left 
off talking, and tried to look devout. The gentlemen 
took their hats off. Yery soon, however, both sexes beofan 
to whisper, then to talk loud, and then to laugh. At 
length, all respect for the Saint seemed to have been lost ; 
for the gentlemen put their hats on, and some of them 
actually took out their segars and smoked in his face. 

We were now conducted to take some refreshment at 
a table amply furnished with cakes, sweetmeats, orchate, 
lemonade, cinnamon water, and a beverage called fresco, 
an infusion of the pine-apple. The house, though little 
better than a large hut, had a neat and holyday appear- 
ance ; the walls were set off with festoons of shrubs and 
flowers, and the floor was strewed with leaves. A sort 
of barn, immediately opposite the house, had been cleared 
out to serve as a theatre. It was entirely open on the 
side that was to face the audience ; the roof and sides 
were ornamented with branches of trees and little flaofs of 
different colours ; a few boards clumsily put together an- 
swered the purpose of a stage, and a large piece of can- 
vass that of a curtain. There was also a temporary shed 
of branches of the palm tree, supported by stal^es, to serve, 
in case of need, as a shelter for the turha midta of the 
uninvited. All this, and the crowd of people flocking in 
from the town and the adjacent villages, reminded me of 
the fete described in Gil Bias, and got up in Olmedo by 
Thomas de la Fuente, with this difference, that there were 
no Latin inscriptions. 

Some time was consumed in arranging matters, before 
the play could commence. In the mean while, the audi- 
ence had crowded together in front of the stage promis- 
cuously, and in a manner not approved of by the Patron, 
(the master of the fete,) or by the curate. The latter 
took upon himself to remedy this confusion. He directed 
the maestro and his musicians, who composed the orches- 



72 NARRATIVE OF A 

tra, to take position at the foot of the stage. Then sepa- 
rating the women from the men. he placed the former- 
immediately behind the orchestra, making them squat on 
the ground, and bidding them to keep silent. This he 
called the pit. Behind the women, and all round, were 
distributed the boys and such of the men as were of low 
statue. The tall fellows were directed to stand behind 
the short ones and the boys, or to shift for themselves as 
well as they could. This was the gallery. A space in 
front of the stage was set apart by the curate para los 
senores, (for the ladies and gentlemen.) A couple of 
benches were placed here, one behind the other, and this 
he called the front boxes. The docility and good humour 
with which the people submitted to the dispositions of the 
curate, and the respect they showed him, impressed me 
with a most favourable opinion of their character and 
feelings. The spectators sat in the open air, under the 
light of an old wooden chandelier bristling with tallow 
candles. They now began to be impatient for the play, 
or for something to amuse them, and the cries of musica ! 
•musica ! though responded to by the orchestra, were soon 
followed by those of la comedia ! la comedia ! At length 
an actor steps before the curtain, and recites a prologue, 
the subject of which is the life and merits of St. Isidro 
labrador. The patron solicits our particular attention 
to this part of the performance, which he tells us is his 
own composition. We of course listen with admiration, 
and, on the conclusion of the prologue, dismiss the actor 
with a burst of applause. Now the curtain rises, and the 
play begins. 

The title of this performance was El enamorado pobre, 
or the Poor Lover. The plot turns upon the rivalship of 
two gentlemen, who aspire to the hand of a fair lady : the 
one exceedingly amiable, accomplished, and handsome, 
but very poor ; the other, destitute of every advantage, 
except that he is very rich. The embarrassment of the 
lady, before deciding in favour of either, and the arts 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 73 

resorted to by the lovers respectively in furtherance of 
their pretensions, constitute the play, which, as it is also 
enlivened by the witticisms of a gracioso, is not with- 
out some interest and merit. Of course the preference is 
given to the poor lover, much to the satisfaction of the 
audience, who applaud the lady for her good taste. 

It was amusing tft observe how much regard was paid 
by the people to the character represented, and how little 
to the manner of performance. The poor lover, as an 
actor, was decidedly inferior to the rich one ; yet he was 
the favourite of the public, who were lavish in their praise 
of him, while the other, whenever he came on the stage, 
was received with murmurs, and ran the risk of being 
hissed. 

It would be unfair to criticise the acting. They did 
their best ; especially the prompter, who, if the actors com- 
mitted any blunders, was certainly not to blame, for he 
read their parts to them loud enough for all of us to hear. 
He had a hard time of it, too, poor fellow, now pushing 
in one actor, now pulling out aiiother, and occasionally, 
in a fit of impatience, thwacking his manuscript over their 
heads. 

The play was followed by a saynete, or afterpiece ; and 
when the curtain dropped, the people were so well pleased, 
that they gave a shout of applause, and cried out, Brava 
comedia ! Viva el patron ! 

The only person who did not enjoy the fiesta was my 
English friend. The play, he said, was a bore, St. Isidro 
a humbug, and the people all fools. Soon after the com- 
mencement of the play, he retired into the house, and 
passed part of the time in taking a nap. 

It was near midnight before we returtied t6 Gualan. 
On arriving* there, I was shown into a neat r6om, where I 
found a good bed, with the whitest linen, aid ^vith a mos- 
quito net of the finest gauze ; so that this time I had no' 
reason to be envious of Don Jose. 

10 



74 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER X. 

Departure from Gualan.— St. Pablo.— The Centenarian. — " Tortillas." — 
Goitres. — Town of Sacapa. — A Dilemma. — Change of Route. — Valley 
and Town of Chiquimula. — Cabildos. — The Cautious Ladino. — Moun- 
tain of Saltepeque. — The Devout Guide. 

From the information we were able to collect in Gua- 
lan with respect to the movements of Carrera and his 
party, it did not appear that there was any actual danger 
in continuing our journey to Guatemala. The curate 
of Tocoy, however, who yet smarted under the injuries 
inflicted on him by the insurgents, warned us to be on 
our guard, lest we should fall into their hands, and related 
so many instances of their rapacity and cruelty, that he 
almost shook the resolution we had taken of proceeding. 

It was not without a feeling of regret that we parted 
from Don Juan and his family, by whom we had been 
so hospitably and agreeably entertained. We were dis- 
missed by them, and by the Padre, or curate, with the 
best wishes for our welfare ; the latter observing that he 
probably would see us in Sacapa, a place on our route 
ten leagues distant, whither he proposed going as soon as 
he should be satisfied of the safety of the road, and beyond 
which, he believed, we could not pass. 

That morning we followed for a few leagues the course 
of the Gualan, the banks of which, in some places, rise to 
a height of a hundred feet above the level of the river. 
We then proceeded without any incident through a coun- 
try similar to that already described. The only object 
that attracted my notice was a tree, of which several spe- 
cimens occurred, called arhol de la cruz, having a leaf 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. TS 

precisely in the shape of a cross, and a large white flower 
called fior de la cruz, (flower of the cross.) Our mules 
being in good spirits, from the rest they had enjoyed the 
day before, we reached the village of St. Pablo about 
mid-day, having travelled a distance of six leagues. The 
inhabitants were chiefly Indians, living in little huts, and 
almost in a state of nature ; the men, and even many of 
the women, being, from the waist upwards, totally un- 
covered. We stopped at the house of the alcalde, a creole, 
who inhabited a hut, very little better than the others, 
with his family and his aged father. This old man (the 
father) I was assured had reached the venerable age of a 
hundred and two years. He was a native of Spain, and 
had served his sovereign as a soldier for the space of fifty 
years. His senses were only partially impaired ; for 
though his sight was dim, his hearing was good, and in 
conversation he was perfectly coherent. He had never 
obtained any pension from the Spanish Government ; 
"and now," said the old man, "as I am not able to work, 
my son has taken upon himself to support me. Dios se 
lo paque (God reward him!)" 

The daughter of the alcalde, a robust girl bordering on 
twenty, was occupied in making tortillas, or corn cakes. 
These cakes are an excellent substitute for bread in a 
country where the cultivation of wheat is very limited. 
As the preparation of them is one of the most important 
concerns of a country household in Central America, it 
may not be uninteresting to describe the process. The 
corn is first moistened in water slightly impregnated with 
lime, which removes the husk. It is then placed on a 
stone of oblong shape, the surface of which is rather 
rough, and curving inwards. It is now ground into a 
paste by means of a stone roller, larger in the middle than 
at the ends, and held by the extremities. This paste is 
ground two or three times, and then formed by the hand 
into very thin cakes, which are placed on a heated plate 
of iron, where, in a few seconds, they are sufficiently 



70 NARRATIVE OF A 

baked. This is an invention purely Indian, and has 
been adopted by the Spaniards in America. The same 
process is used for making chocolate; it has been in prac- 
tice since the discovery of the country ; and it seems sin^ 
gular, that after so great a lapse of time, no improvement 
has yet been made in it. 

The village of St. Pablo had nothing in it remarkable, 
The inhabitants seemed very poor, and almost destitute 
of the necessaries of life. They were also much afflicted 
by goitres, a disease very prevalent in Central America. 
Some cases of this disease I had noticed in other places 
in the course of our journey, but now they were be- 
coming more frequent, I have been assured that there 
are parts of the country where this disease is so common, 
that one person out of five is afiiicted with it. The 
causes in which it originates I was never able fully to 
ascertain, though one of them is said to be the quality of 
the water. 

As we had brought a supply of provisions from Gua- 
lan, our repast in this village was easily prepared. After 
a halt of a couple of hours, and sleeping a short siesta, 
we took our leave of the alcalde, whose services, on ac- 
count of his filial piety, were remunerated rather more 
liberally than they otherwise would have been. A ride 
of five hours rnore over a dry and barren country, 
brought us to the plains of Sacapa, where Nature re- 
appears in a garb of richest verdure. 

The town of Sacapa is situated on an eminence, near 
the banks of a respectable stream which traverses the 
plain. It is rather larger and more populous than Gua- 
lan, and lies ten leagues distant from that place, on the 
road to Guatemala. Here, too, we found the people amu- 
sing thems^lveSj and uniting the pursuit of pleasure with 
the duties of religion. They were celebrating the cross 
of May, and had erected in the middle of the plaza a high 
cross, which was decked with every variety of wild flow- 
ers that the country and season produced, In front of 



JOURNEY TO GUATEBIALA. ft 

the cross, and under a shed formed of green palm leaves, 
stood a httle altar with an image, and lights burning be- 
fore it. Two musicians, one with a drum, and the other 
with a sort of flageolet, called didzaina, were playing ; 
and a crowd of women, sitting round the cross, prayed 
and sang alternately. 

Having been furnished by Don Juan with an introduc- 
tion to a friend of his in Sacapa, Don Mariano * * *, we 
alighted at the house of this gentleman, and met with a 
favourable reception. The house of Don Mariano, one of 
the best in the place, though only one story high, was 
built round an area, or court-yard, in which a few trees 
were planted that afforded an agreeable shade. On three 
of the sides of the house, facing the area, there were vari- 
ous rooms for different purposes, the doors of which 
opened into a corridor^ or piazza. The part of the house 
next to the street, consisted of a good sala^ or parlour, a 
room for dining, and a store for the sale of goods. 

Soon after our arrival at Sacapa, we became satisfied 
by the statements of Don Mariano, that to proceed any 
further on that road would be the worst of follies. He 
assured us that, from that town to Guatemala the country 
was infested by the factious Indians, who hovered about 
the roads in small parties, plundering and murdering, and 
showing no mercy to their victims, especially if they were 
foreigners. To travel ten leagues beyond Sacapa without 
falling in with one of these parties, he considered a matter 
of impossibility. The alcalde of the place, who was con- 
sulted, expressed the same opinion. With the advantage 
of a military escort, the attempt, he said, might be suc- 
cessful ; but as none could be procured in that place, he 
advised our remaining for the present where we were. 

Tlie result of these deliberations was the suspending of 
our journey. After a detention of two days, a new con- 
sultation was held, in order to decide upon the next step 
to be taken. We were unwilling to remain much longer 
in Sacapa ; to proceed to Guatemala was impracticable ; 



78 NARRATIVK OF A 

and to retrace our steps was out of the question. In this 
dilemma an alternative was proposed by Don Jose, which 
was that we should proceed to Esquipulas, a town situ- 
ated on the road to St. Salvador, and about sixty miles to 
the left of the Guatemala road. From that town the com- 
munications with the capital might possibly be open. 
And should that not be the case, we could remain there 
under the hospitable roof of the curate, who was a near 
relative of his, and would be glad to entertain us. 

As there was no reason for apprehending any danger 
on the road to Esquipulas, which was one lying out of 
the track of the insurgents, the plan of Don Jose was ap- 
proved of and adopted. Just as we had come to this con- 
clusion, we were agreeably surprised by the appearance 
of the curate of Tocoy, who had that moment arrived in 
town. On my making him acquainted with our inten- 
tion, he shook his head, and accompanied his disapproba- 
tion of the plan with the most melancholy forebodings. 
" I wish you would not go," said he, addressing Mr. M. 
and me ; "I should be so sorry if anything happened to 
you;" and turning to Don Jose, he added, "you make 
yourself responsible for any evil that may befall these gen- 
tlemen." We thanked the Padre for the interest he took 
in our behalf, but our minds were made up, and the next 
morning we took leave of him and of Don Mariano. 
" The blessed Virgin be with you," said the curate on 
our departure ; which was responded to by me with the. 
usual wish that he might live a thousand years. 

After proceeding a few miles, the green plains of Saca- 
pa entirely disappeared, and we came to an arid, hilly 
country, where every thing looked parched by the sun. 
The heat, too, which was great, was the more oppressive 
from the stillness of the air, and the absence of any trees 
to shade us. Further on, we came to a steep mountain, 
where masses of rock, like lava, gave evidence of the ex- 
istence, at some remote period, of a volcano. The ground 
was very much broken, and covered with loose stones, 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 79 

and the soil produced only a meagre and stunted vegeta- 
tion. With considerable labour, and after two hours' 
travel, we arrived at the summit of this mountain, when 
we had a view of a plain called the valley of Chiquimula, 
and of a range of mountains beyond, extending far away, 
till they faded on the sight. This, from my experience 
thus far, I found to be the general character of the coun- 
try in Central America, which is a succession of moun- 
tainous ridges crowned with wood, and of vallies, more 
or less extensive, but generally well watered, and ex- 
tremely fertile. 

We reached the town of Chiquimula early in the after- 
noon, and concluded to stop there for the rest of the day. 
This we found to be a place of some importance, and the 
head of a Department. Its population may be from four 
to five thousand ; the streets and houses have a good ap- 
pearance, and tlie church — which, as every where else in 
that country, is situated in the plaza — is a large hand- 
some building, but spoiled in its interior by a number of 
vulgar images. The plaza — one of the characteristic fea- 
tures of Spanish towns — contains, moreover, a fine foun- 
tain, shaded by several palm trees. 

As we had not proposed passing the ni^ht in this 
place, we had come without any letter of introduction, 
and, in consequence, had to apply to the alcalde for quar- 
ters in the Cabildo, or town-hall. This is generally the 
resource of travellers in Central America on arriving at 
a town where they have no acquaintance ; for, as I have 
heretofore observed, public houses are unknown in that 
country.* The alcalde very kindly offered us his own 
house, or he would billet us on any of the inhabitants.- 
But we declined both these offers, and proceeded with 

* Cabildo, in the common acceptation of the word, applies to a tovvn^ 
hall, but in the present case means a resting-place for travellers. It is^ 
in fact, a sort of caravansary, and in tliis liglit it may be regarded as a 
vestige of the oriental practices still prevalent in Spain, and introduced 
by the natives of that country into their American possessions. 



80 NARRATIVE OF A 

him to the Cabildo, where a large gloomy chamber, with 
one table and three or four rickety chairs, was placed at 
our disposal. 

The aspect of things here was certainly not very in- 
viting, and thereupon Don Jose began to moralize, and to 
console himself and us with the hope of better luck in 
future. There was another cattse for melancholy re- 
flections in an object of a truly ominous character which 
I have not yet mentioned, and which met our sight the 
moment we entered the chamber. This was nothing less 
than a coffin, fortunately an empty one, for of this I satis- 
fied myself by lifting up the lid. This coffin, a large one, 
covered with black cloth and silver lace, was public pro- 
perty, and had been used during the prevalence of the 
cholera in that town, not for burying the dead, but for 
carrying them to the grave. It wees of Course immediately 
removed into another part of the building by direction 
of the alcalde, who, at the same time, ordered some mat- 
tresses to be brought for our use. Ou^ other wants were 
supplied by the curate of the place, who sent us a tolera- 
ble supper, and rendered our situation altogether com- 
fortable. The arrieros found no difficulty in procuring 
accommodations for themselves and the mules. 

The following morning early, we mounted again, and 
resumed our march. Our route now was through a de- 
lightful valley in high cultivation. The land wa;s irri- 
gated from a river by means of water-courses, as is prac- 
tised in some of the southern provinces of Spain. At a 
little village called St. Helena, we halted to take scJme re- 
freshment. Soon after leaving this place, we came to a 
rocky ridge, and, on passing it, descended into another 
valley, and arrived at Saltepeque : an Indian village pret- 
tily situated, well provided with water, and surrounded 
by a rich vegetation. Between Chiquimula and this 
place we saw various plantations of nopal, sugar-cane, 
tod corn. Some of these plantations had fruit trees grow- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 81 

in^ in them, and were protected by neat enclosures, which 
gave them the appearance of gardens. 

At Saltepeque we halted for the night. The occupant 
of one of the best-looking huts, who was not an Indian, 
but a ladlno, the name given there to light mulattoes, af- 
forded us lodgings with a good grace, and undertook to 
cater for us. I was surprised to see him, on going out for 
this purpose, gird on an old basket-hilted sword. To a 
remark that I made upon this, he replied that it was grow- 
ing dark, and that a little precaution could not be amiss. 
It gave me, however, a very bad opinion of the inhabi- 
tants of the place. On our retiring to rest, my two fellow- 
travellers had recourse to their hammocks, and I, as on a 
former occasion, to my leopard skin and cloak. 

The next day, just as a faint gleam of light in the East 
announced the approach of dawn, we were roused by the 
guide we had engaged at Sacapa. He exhorted us to be 
stirring, and to lose no time, for we had an arduous task 
before us ; the mountain of Saltepeque had to be passed — 
a lofty, steep, and rugged mountain, scarcely less formida- 
ble than that of Izabal — and it would be well, he said, to 
accomplish this before the sun was very high in the hori- 
zon. Our preparations were soon made, and before the 
sun had risen we were again upon the road. 

We soon came to the foot of the mountain alluded to 
by the guide, and its appearance corresponded but too well 
with the description he had made of it. The ascent was 
abrupt and rocky, and the path, leading sometimes across 
a ravine, and at others along the dry channel of a torrent, 
presented at each step some new difficulty to be surmount- 
ed. Some parts of the mountain were woody, and here 
the underwood and long grass were another obstruction 
to our progress. 

In about three hours we reached the summit, when I 

perceived a sensible difference in the temperature of the 

air, which was here much cooler than in the plain below. 

The descent on the other side was through a forest of lofty 

11 



82 NARRATIVE OF A 

pineSi After proceeding a little further, an opening in 
the trees afforded a distinct view of the plains of Esqnipu- 
las, and of the shrine or temple of that name, so celebrated 
in all the country. The guide, who was riding at the 
head of our party, on descrying the temple, made a sudden 
stop, and pointing towards it, cried, " el Senor de Esqui- 
pulas /" He then took off his hat, crossed himself devout- 
ly, and muttered a short prayer, after which he spurred 
his mule, and was again in motion. 

In the course of our descent I was struck with the 
beauty and grandeur of the scenery which presented itself 
to the view. Passing along the summit of an elevated 
ridge, we sometimes looked down upon a vast hollow on 
either side, many hundred feet deep, where the density of 
the trees and bushes had the appearance of a sea of ver- 
dure. As we approached the base of the mountain, the 
country became more clear, and the ground was clothed 
with a shorter and finer grass, and decked with a variety 
of beautiful wild flowers. At length we reached the plain, 
and proceeded along a tolerably level road towards the 
town of Esquipulas, where we arrived about the hour 
of noon. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 83 



CHAPTER XI. 

Town of Esquipulas.— A New Perplexity and Change of Route. — The 
Curate.— His Domestic Establishment.— His Library.— Attending 
Mass The Shrine of Esquipulas. — The Miracle. 

Our reception by the curate, the friend and relative of 
Don Jose, was the most cordial and flattering. His house, 
which was situated opposite the church, and provided in 
front with a good portico, and in the rear with a spacious 
yard, was one of considerable size, but not very conve- 
nient ; having only two rooms, besides the sola, or par- 
lour. One of these rooms was assigned to Don Jose and 
Mr. M. ; the other the good curate insisted on my occupy- 
ing, though it was his own bed-chamber and study. For 
his own accommodation, a little cot, or field-bed, was 
brought into the sala. 

The furniture of the house was more remarkable for its 
classic simplicity, than for its elegance or convenience. 
In the principal room, the only articles composing it were 
a wooden bench, with a back and rests for the arms at each 
end, placed against the wall, and before it a massive ma- 
hogany table. This part of the household arrangement 
had very much the appearance of a tribunal ; and when 
the curate sat there — which he invariably did when any 
one came to talk to him on business — he looked Hke a 
magistrate dispensing justice. Along the walls were dis- 
tributed about a dozen chairs of no mean dimensions, and 
of most antiquated fashion ; the seats and backs being 
lined with sole leather, and studded with nails, the heads 
of which were of polished brass, and as large as half dol- 
lars. On the side over the mahogany table there was a 
portrait of our Saviour, and opposite to this another por- 
trait, representing a nuestra Senora. 



84 



NARRATIVE OF A 



During dinner the conversation naturally turned on 
the political disturbance of the country, and the state of 
the roads between Esquipulas and the capital. The in- 
telligence afforded by the curate on this subject could not 
be more discouraging ; and all hope of continuing our 
journey from that place was utterly relinquished. My 
disappointment on finding that I had come so far out of 
my way to no purpose, may easily be imagined. Mr. M. 
was seized with a fit of spleen, and talked of retracing 
his steps to Balize ; Don Jose formally announced his 
intention of proceeding no further ; so that the proba- 
bility now was, that I should be left alone. Don Jose, 
however, ever fertile in expedients, suggested one, which, 
under the circumstances, I was fain to embrace. " You 
have gone," said he, "considerably out of your way; to 
go a little further, will only be a small addition of trou- 
ble ;" and this remark he accompanied by one of his old 
Spanish proverbs, which corresponds to the English say- 
ing of "in for a penny, in for a pound." " The road to 
St. Salvador is a continuation of that by which we have 
arrived at this place ; pursue that road, and proceed to 
the city of St. Salvador, which at present is the seat of 
Government, and where means will not be wanting for 
your performing, with safety, the journey to Guatemala." 

In respect of the risk I might incur by adopting this 
advice, the curate assured me that whatever danger there 
might be of falling in with ordinary robbers, there was 
none to be apprehended from the insurgents, who, it was 
known, were in another part of the country. My next 
inquiry was in relation to the length of the journey to St. 
Salvador, when I learned what Don Jose called a little 
further, was upwards of a hundred miles. Having now 
decided on proceeding to that city, I had one point more 
to settle, that of persuading Mr. M. to accompany me. In 
this I succeeded, after a little coaxing and entreating, and 
just as I was helping him to the last glass of a bottle of 
the curate's claret which we were drinking between us. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 85 

Our departure, however, was not to take place till after 
the expiration of two or three days. The following day, 
our worthy host said, was Sunday, and we must go to 
mass ; and then some time would be required to see the 
place, and, above all, the shrine of Esquipulas, as also to 
procure mules and arrieros for taking us to St. Sal- 
vador ; those we had brought from Sacapa having now 
fulfilled their engagement. 

Such were the incidents of the day of my arrival at 
Esquipulas. At night I was shown into my bed-cham- 
ber, where eveiy thing appeared to be in the same state 
as when occupied by the curate. In a spirit of curiosity 
I proceeded to examine, and note down, the various ob- 
jects round me. A very pretty little crucifix of silver, 
suspended from the wall over the bed, was the first object 
that attracted my attention. Near that was a bmitier 
with holy water, and in another place a reliquary of St. 
Gabriel. ' On a table, I found a manuscript, which proved 
to be a Register of births, marriages, and deaths, and in a 
book-case that was open, the following, among other 
works : the Bible in latin, a breviary, Thomas a Kempis, 
Listimion des Cures in French, and Taboada's Diction- 
ary of the Spanish and French languages. 

The next morning, when the tolling of the church-bell 
announced the hour of divine service, we were invited by 
the curate to attend the ceremony of mass, which he was 
about to perform. We went, accordingly, notwithstand- 
ing a disposition manifested by Mr. M. to decline the invi- 
tation. The church was a large, gloomy building, com- 
bining the modern with the gothic style of architecture, 
and consisted of one aisle, with pilasters on the sides. The 
altar was surmounted by a large crucifix of wood ; the 
floor was paved with flat bricks or tiles. The congrega- 
tion was composed chiefly of women, who sat or knelt on 
little mats in the middle of the church. They wore man- 
tillas over their heads, a kind of shawl, of fine white flan- 
nel or baize trimmed with white satin ribbon. Some 



86 



NARRATIVE OF A 



wore the usual scarf, called rebozo. They were other- 
wise neatly dressed, but none of them had shoes or stock- 
ings. The men stood round, except a few of the better 
class, who were accommodated with benches, of which 
there was one on each side of the church. The cere- 
mony was soon brought to a conclusion, when we re- 
turned to th^e house to breakfast. After this, it was pro- 
posed to pay a visit to the temple of Esquipulas, about a 
mile distant from the town ; and mules being procured 
for the purpose, we started for that celebrated shrine with 
the curate, who, as is usual with his brethren, was admi^ 
rably mounted. 

The temple, or church, in question, stands by itself in 
the midst of a plain. It is a noble pile, and contrasts singu- 
larly with the insignificance of the town in the vicinity of 
which it is situated. It has a lofty and spacious dome, and 
at each angle a tower of considerable elevation. The 
architecture is sufficiently regular and chaste. As a work 
of art, this edifice is calculated to produce a greater im- 
pression on the beholder, from its situation in a spot where, 
for some hundred miles round, there is nothing of the kind 
bearing even a remote comparison with it. To a traveller 
coming in view of it on a sudden, it might look like the 
work of enchantment. It had to me the appearance of an 
Escurial in miniature. Entering the church through a 
lofty portal, rich with ornaments of sculpture, we took a 
view of the interior, which is divided into three aisles, the 
central one formed by two rows of heavy pillars, with their 
corresponding arches. On each side are various chapels, 
images and pictures, and the walls in many parts are cov- 
ered with ex votos, in the shape of hands, arms, and feet, 
made of wax, and offered there by devotees who have 
attributed to this shrine the cure of diseases they have been 
afflicted with. Over the principal entrance in the choir, 
and at the other extremity of the building, is the principal 
altar, in front of which, in a shrine richly carved and gilt, 
is an image of Christ crucified, to whom the church is 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 87 

consecrated. The image is about four feet high, of wood, 
beautifully bronzed. The ornaments about the shrine, and 
the image, ai-e of gold and silver, some of them set with 
precious stones. 

Many and wonderful are the miracles attributed to this 
image, the fame of which has spread far and wide in that 
country. Hence the number of pilgrims that come annu- 
ally to offer at its feet their vows and prayers ; amounting 
in some years to five thousand. In some cases, when the 
devotees have been prevented from attending personally, 
they have addressed their prayers in letters directed to the 
Seiio?', or Lord of Esquipulas. The zeal and devotion of 
the pilgrims is evinced by their approaching the temple on 
their knees, or by carrying from a considerable distance a 
heavy cross, or a large stone. Their reward is a bit of 
ribbon which has touched the ii>iage, and has stamped on 
it the words, Dulce nombre de Jesus. 

This temple was built in 1751 by Don Pedro Figueroa, 
archbishop of Guatemala, who appropriated almost the 
whole of his means to this object. Its revenue is from fouf 
to five thousand dollars, and is derived from legacies, dona- 
tions by the pilgrims, and other sources. Divine service is 
performed there occasionally, and once a year a grand fes" 
tival is celebrated. 

The curate, an amiable and sensible man, and somewhat 
of a scholar, was nevertheless a firm believer in the mira^ 
cles attributed to the image just described. He seemed 
anxious to impress me with the same belief, and tried 
every argument that he thought calculated to remove my 
incredulity. At length he pressed me so hard, that I was 
fain to resort to a stratagem in order to escape from the 
toils he was spreading round me. I declared to him that 
if the Senor de Esquipulas would work a miracle in my 
behalf between that day and the next, and enable me td 
proceed to Guatemala direct and without risk, I would 
believe in him. The reader will be surprised to learn 
what follows. On getting up the next morning, and as I 



88 NARRATIVE OF A 

was leaving my chamber, the first person I met was the 
curate. He had been lying in wait for me ; there was an 
arch smile on his countenance ; he saluted me with the 
usual huenos dias, and expressed himself with the follow- 
ing words, " Did you not ask for a miracle ? and did you 
not require that it should be a safe and direct conveyance 
to Guatemala? Well, sir, your conditions have been ful- 
filled. I have just learned the arrival in this town of a 
convoy of mules laden with tobacco, which, as soon as a 
party of soldiers appointed by the Government to escort 
them shall arrive, will proceed to the capital direct. Could 
you desire a better opportunity ? will you now believe V 

I confess that the statement of the curate struck me with 
surprise. I affected to believe that he Avas jesting, but he 
soon compelled me to admit the truth of his assertion. On 
inquiring, however, into the particulars of the case, I 
learned that eight days at least would elapse before the 
arrival of the escort ; that the rate of travelling of the con- 
voy would never exceed eight or nine miles a day ; that 
they encamped in the open fields ; and that to get to Gua- 
temala in this way, would be the business of a month. 
This being the case, I told the curate that it would not do, 
and that the miracle was no miracle after all. 

The town of Esquipulas — in itself little better than a 
village — is remarkable, not only for the church described 
above, but for a fair that is held there once a year. The 
principal street consists of two rows of little shops, or 
booths, which are hired out during the fair to the mer- 
chants, or dealers, that repair thither with their goods. 
The concourse of people at that time is so great, that the 
town is inadequate to their accommodation, and they are 
obliged to encamp in the open fields. The number, I was 
assured, is seldom less than twenty thousand. With all 
these advantages, the town of Esquipulas, singular as it 
may seem, instead of exhibiting any signs of prosperity, 
has all the appearance of a poor and insignificant village. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 89 



CHAPTER XII. 

Departure for St. Salvador. — The " Mai Paso." — Town of Ocotepeque.— ^ 
Scruples of a Quondam Monk. — An Hacienda. — Throwing of the Lazo. 
-"An Awkward Mistake.---The Liberal Housekeeper. 

On the 23d of May — three days after my arrival at Es- 
quipulas — -I took my departure for St. Salvador, with Mr. 
M., two arrieros and four mules- I was furnished by the 
curate with a letter to an inhabitant of the village of Ocote- 
peque, nine leagues distant, where it was our intention to 
pass the first night of this journey, and where a fresh set of 
mules would have to be engaged for taking us to St. Sal- 
vador. Don Jose had given me two letters for persons 
residing in the latter place, and had, moreover, added to 
my baggage a basket, of the contents of which I was left 
ignorant, but which, he said, would be found useful on 
the road. To this gentleman, whose wit and amiable dis- 
position had thus far enlivened our route, and whose ser-, 
vices I foresaw we should miss, and to his hospitable 
relative the curate, I said, on parting, every thing that 
friendship and gratitude suggested. 

We proceeded on our journey through a pleasant coun- 
try, consisting of extensive meadows, with tracts of wood- 
land at intervals, where v/e saw large herds of cattle graz- 
ing, till we came to the Empa, a considerable river, which 
we forded with difficulty. Further on, we came to a 
place called the malpaso, This was a deep ravincj over- 
hung with rocks and bushes, in passing which it was 
necessary to proceed through a natural lane, or gulley, 
formed by the rocks, which on each side presented a wall 
some ten feet high. On the opposite side, the ravine, as 
well as the gulley, were commanded by an eminence 
12 



90 NARRATIVE OF A 

crowned with trees ; so that, altogether, a more favourable 
spot for a military ambuscade, or for the purposes of high- 
waymen, could scarcely be desired. In fact, the place 
was noted for the crimes committed there, on which ac- 
count, more than from the difficulties of the place, it 
was styled " the dangerous pass." Our feelings, on ap- 
proaching this spot, were by no means pleasant, from the 
possibility of meeting there with some disagreeable ad- 
venture. Mr. M. and I had only one pair of pistols be- 
tween us, (for I had lost mine a few days before.) and the 
muleteers were armed only with their knives. Our ap- 
prehensions were increased by a story related by one of 
these men, of a French gentleman who had been mur- 
dered there by robbers. He showed us the very spot 
where he fell, and graced his tale with a variety of cir- 
cumstantial horrors. It was our fortune to pass the mal 
paso without any accident. But the impression left on 
our minds by the circumstances of the place, and by the 
story of the muleteer, disposed us to look with distrust on 
any one we might meet with on the road. Thus, on 
overtaking two men on the other side of the ravine, the 
arrieros at once declared them to be mala gente, (bad 
people ;) and in reality, they did look like suspicious cha- 
racters, though they were apparently unarmed. 

Proceeding a few miles more, we came to a hamlet, 
with nothing remarkable about it but its name, which 
was el dulce nomhre de Jesus (the sweet name of Jesus.) 
At another place, called St. Antonio, we halted to take 
some refreshments. Here Don Jose's basket was in- 
spected ; and most agreeably surprised were we by its 
contents, which proved to be an abundant supply of sub- 
stantial viands, with the delicate accessories of a few loaves 
of wheat bread, some chocolate and wine. 

Early in the evening of the same day, we arrived at 
Ocotepeque, having performed a journey of nine leagues, 
or twenty-seven miles. On inquiring for the person to 
whom our letter was addressed, we found that he was 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 91 

absent, and his house shut up ; so that now we were left 
to shift for ourselves, for we knew no one in the place, 
and there was no Don Jose to counsel or direct us. Mr. 
M., however, by a happy inspiration, pointed to a house 
that he had taken a fancy to, and insisted on applying 
there for quarters. I saw no reason for preferring that 
house to any other, but I complied with his wishes, and 
entered the house, saying, ^^Ave Maria purissima /" when 
a middle aged man appeared, who in a very civil manner 
desired me to command him. On my asking the favour 
of being permitted with a friend of mine to pass the night 
there, he made me a sign to wait, and retiring into the 
house, re-appeared the next moment with a woman, who, 
as she scanned Mr. M. and me with a glance of her dark 
and penetrating eyes, seemed to wait for an explanation. 
My request being now addressed to her, she replied, 
" como no ?" (why not ?) which, with the natives, is the 
usual and favourite mode of answering in the affirmative. 
The man and woman just mentioned were brother and 
sister ; and from the assiduity and good will with which 
they attended to our wants, we had every reason to con- 
gratulate ourselves on having selected their house for 
our abode. We were also fortunate in another respect, 
since on inquiring for mules to take us to St. Salvador, 
the brother, who was the owner of several, offered to fur- 
nish them himself, and to be our guide and attendant on 
the road. An engagement was, accordingly, made with 
him, with a promise, on his part, that we should set out 
the following morning at an early hour. But this pro- 
mise our host, Juan Rodriguez, (such was his name,) had 
no intention of fulfilling ; for on my asking him, before 
retiring to rest, at what hour of the morning he would 
call me, he hesitated, and seemed a little puzzled. I pro- 
posed the hour of five, but this he thought too early. I 
then said six, and then seven, but still he seemed inclined 
to make it a little later. At length I brought him to an 
explanation. The next day, he said, was a holyday ; it 



92 NARRATIVE OF A 

was the festival of the Ascension ; and he could not 
think of going upon a journey on such a day without 
previously hearing mass. And as this ceremony would 
not take place till nine o'clock, he hoped I would defer 
our departure till that hour. I argued and reasoned with 
him, and tried to remove his scruples by adverting to the 
old Spanish saying, that duty is before devotion. But he 
retorted with another, equally good, which was : 

" Por oir misa y dar cebada, 
Nunca se perdio Jornada." 

And thereupon I yielded the point, and agreed not to set 
out till he had performed his devotions. He then told 
me that he had been a friar of the order of St. Francis, 
and that, though religious orders were now extinct in 
the country, it was his practice, on particular festivals, to 
go to church in his monkish habits, which he carefully 
retained, and hoped some day to resume. I no longer won- 
dered at the scruples he had exhibited. The next morn- 
ing, it was amusing to see Juan Rodriguez figuring, at 
first, in the garb of a friar, and then, on doffing his habits, 
transformed into something like a captain of banditti, 
with his chatnarra, or mantle, over one shoulder, a dag- 
ger in his belt, and a rusty Toledo hanging from his side. 
It was near ten o'clock before we started from Ocotepe- 
que. It was therefore deemed expedient not to stop till 
we finished the day's journey, and we travelled, without 
intermission, till five in the afternoon, when we came to 
a village called el Sacario. The distance of this place 
from Ocotepeque is eight leagues, or twenty-four miles, 
nearly a regular day's work ; so that the saying of the 
ex-friar, that in travelling the time employed in saying 
your prayers, or in feeding your cattle, was never time 
lost, was verified to the letter. As he had some acquaint- 
ance with the place and its inhabitants, and as our stock 
of provisions was not yet consumed, we found no dilfi- 
culty either in procuring a resting-place for the night, or 






JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 93 

a good meal, so desirable after an uninterrupted ride of 
seven hours. 

Leaving el Sacario, we travelled through a broken, rug- 
ged country, intersected by so many brooks and torrents, 
that we crossed about twenty of them in the course of the 
morning. Here and there, delightfully romantic spots oc- 
curred, where a refreshing shade, and a rill of cool translu- 
cent water murmuring over a bed of rock, seemed to in- 
vite the wayfarer to rest, and breathe awhile, after the 
fatigue of travelling in a burning sun. Our route, how- 
ever, was not enlivened by the appearance of a single vil- 
lage, or even a house, till about noon, when we came to a 
considerable hacienda^ or estate, called Amayo. 

This is one of the finest estates in the country, and is 
the property of Don Joaquin San Martin, late Vice-Chief, 
or Governor, of the State of Guatemala. Don Joaquin 
happened to be on the estate, and to our application for 
permission to rest under his roof for an hour or two, he 
replied in the most civil manner, that " his house was at 
our disposal." Nor was this an empty compliment, for he, 
at the same time, ordered dinner to be prepared for Mr. M. 
and me, and that care should be taken of the arrieros and 
the mules. This repast, which was served up on a long 
table, with a bench on each side, we took in a spacious 
hall, where, besides some furniture of a rude and primitive 
fashion, there were instruments of agriculture of various 
kinds, and saddles, bridles, swords, fowhng-pieces, and 
hammocks. 

The house was a large substantial building, with the 
usual court in the centre, surrounded by a corridor. In 
the rear of the house was a large yard, or enclosure, in 
which two or three hundred horses were undergoing the 
operation of being marked. The greater part were colts, 
as wild as if in a state of nature, and as nimble as deer. 
They were galloping and racing around the yard at a furi- 
ous rale, and several men were employed in catching 
them, one after the other, which they effected by means 



94 NARRATIVE OF A 

of the lazo, or noose, throwing it over the neck or legs of 
the animal, and then pulling him to the ground, when the 
heated iron was applied to his quivering haunch. I 
afterwards had an opportunity of seeing the lazo used 
in the open fields, where the horse had fair play, and often 
led his pursuer a long chase before he was taken. A half- 
naked young Indian, with spurs on his bare feet, and the 
lazo in his hand was mounted on a swift horse, and hav- 
ing singled out his beast, rode into the midst of the drove 
to catch him. The skill he displayed in this operation, 
and his bold and graceful manner as a rider, while 
careering about the field, aftbrded a sight of no little in- 
terest and excitement. 

The estates in this part of the country are chiefly de- 
voted to the raising of cattle and breeding of horses, for 
which every facility is afforded by the vast extent of the 
pasture lands. In fact, we could see whole herds graz- 
ing in the plains around ; and as Don Joaquin pointed to 
them, he expressed his fears lest some of Carrera's people, 
when in want of horses, should pay him a visit, and 
supply themselves at his expense. So cheap are horses 
there, that for twelve or fifteen dollars I might have se- 
lected one out of a hundred. The price of oxen is in 
the same proportion. That of horses seems to depend 
upon their training, for as soon as they have learned 
to pace and amble, they are estimated at five or six 
times the original value. 

Having taken leave of Don Joaquin, we proceeded 
on our way through vast fertile plains, which still af- 
forded good pasture, though it had not rained for some 
time ; this being the dry season. We passed through 
numerous herds of cattle and horses, and at one place ran 
the risk of being attacked by a couple of bulls, who were 
disputing the mastery of the field in a fierce fight just on 
the borders of the road. Their horns were interlocked, 
and they were struggling and bellowing tremendously ; 
but on our approaching them, they suspended their con-. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 95 

test, and fixed their eyes upon us, as if disposed to resent 
any interruption. We, however, hastened to avoid them 
by a circuitous movement. A little further on, near the 
edge of an extensive copse, we saw two deer. On 
descrying us, they pricked up their ears, and for a mo- 
ment gazed without moving. Then stamping with their 
fore-feet two or three times, they bounded away, and dis- 
appeared in the copse. 

At an early hour in the evening, having arrived at an 
estate called JSapote, we resolved on passing the night 
there. Here, by some unaccountable mistake, I took the 
owner of the property, who was residing on it, for the 
steward, and, in consequence, was not quite so ceremoni- 
ous in my manner tovv^ards him as he had a right to ex- 
pect. Not satisfied witli his admitting us into the house 
to pass the night, I desired him to order a couple of fowls 
to be killed for our use — intending to pay for them — 
which was accordingly done. In the mean time, Mr. M., 
in his conversation with this gentleman, had learned the 
truth, and hastened to apprise me of my mistake. I was 
confused and mortified beyond expression ; to offer any 
apologies would only aggravate the matter; so I tried to 
make amends by an extreme of modesty and respectful- 
ness in my deportment. 

This estate was not quite so large or valuable as that of 
Don Joaquin, but there were some large plantations on it of 
maize and nopal, besides live-stock in abundance. 

Soon after resuming our march on the following morn- 
ing, we crossed the Empa a second time. The ford was 
rather deep, but was passed without accident. We con- 
tinued to meet with numerous herds of cattle and horses, 
and here and there a cultivated field, but no villages, or 
houses, except one or two miserable rancherias. Coming 
in the course of the morning to another estate, called la 
Toma, we were induced to stop there, in order to o-et 
some chocolate prepared for our breakfast : a supply of 
this article having been furnished us by Don Jose. On 



96 NARRATIVE OF A 

entering the yard before the house, we found some of the 
dependents of the estate breaking in a colt, and inquired 
of them for the master of the house. They told us in a 
careless manner that neither he nor the steward were at 
home, and seemed altogether little disposed to show us 
any attention. I had turned my mule, and was on the 
point of retiring, when perceiving a woman at the door 
of the hall, looking at us attentively, I rode up to her, and 
asked whether she would not permit some chocolate to 
be prepared for our use in the kitchen of the house. The 
answer could not be more civil, "Como no 7 pasen ade- 
lante,^^ (why not? walk in.) said she; and on our dis- 
mounting, showed us into the best room, and desired us 
to be seated. This woman proved to be the housekeeper. 
On our chocolate being produced, she made us put it 
back, saying that there was enough of that in the house, 
and that she would order some to be made immediately. 
A table was now covered with a perfectly white cloth ; 
and a few moments after, two bowls of chocolate made 
with milk were placed on it, smoking and foaming, and, 
moreover, a delicious cream-cheese, just made, a plate with 
some pieces of honeycomb, some tortillas and cakes. 

In a spirit of generosity, inspired by the sight of these 
delicacies, we abandoned to the arrieros the remains of 
Don Jose's basket, chocolate and all. And for my part, I 
resolved, after this, in cases of trouble, to appeal always to 
a woman rather than to any of my own sex. 

After partaking of this excellent and unexpected break- 
fast, the necessity of making some return for the liberality 
of the housekeeper naturally suggested itself But how to 
accomplish this, we were unable to determine. The offer 
of a pecuniary compensation would perhaps be considered 
an offence ; and neither Mr- M. or I were in possession of 
any article that might prove an acceptable present to a 
female. It was, therefore, decided to offer nothing but our 
thanks ; and these I undertook to express in the best and 
most flattering manner that I was able. This decision, I 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 97 

have reason to believe, was the right one. After an inter- 
change of compliments with this good-natured woman, and 
a mutual expression of good will, we took our leave, and 
resumed our journey. 

In the afternoon of that day we arrived at a village called 
Ajjopa, four leagues distant from St. Salvador. As it was 
now too late to continue our journey, in the hope of reach- 
ing that city before night, we resolved on remaining in the 
village. We had to content ourselves here, as in other 
places, with such accommodations as the place afforded. 
But I had now become so indifferent to comforts, that I 
could sleep on a mat on the ground, and dine upon black 
beans and tortillas, as well as the most hardy of the na- 
tives : such is the effect of habit, and so easily does the 
human frame accommodate itself to circumstances. 



13 



98 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Approach to St. Salvador. — Ihdiaiis aild their Dress. — Arrival at the 
City. — The " Meson." — The Hospitable Frenchman. — The American 
Consul. — Description of St. Salvador. — The Market-PIace. — The Vice. 
President. — The Secretary of State.— A Visit to the Chamber of Depu- 
ties. — A Ball. — The American Janissary. — Departure. 

It was a delightful morning when we left the village of 
Apopa for St; Salvador. A serene and cloudless sky of 
deepest blue was illuminated by the first rays of a reful- 
gent sun, that rose majestically over the distant moun- 
tains • the long shadows of the trees were gradually be- 
coming less ; and the fresh dew on the grass and on the 
branches sparkled with the brilliancy of diamonds. The 
balmy softness of the atmosphere, the warbling of the birds, 
and the freshness of the breeze that gently breathed on us, 
inspired the most pleasurable emotions, and we felt happy 
in the mere consciousness of existence. 

In our progress towards the city, we admired the beauty 
of the country, and the number and extent of the planta- 
tions. Several pretty farms, or country residences, with 
gardens and orchards^ attracted my attention. The num- 
ber of people was also remarkable, as we had been accus- 
tomed of late to travel many leagues at a time without 
meeting a human being. But it was Sunday, and the in- 
habitants of the neighbouring villages, in some of which 
there is no church, were going to the city to hear mass. 
They were mostly Indians. Their dress, which;, no doubt, 
was the same as that worn by their ancestors in ages past, 
was extremely simple, and by no means unbecoming. 
That of the women was a piece of blue cotton wrapped 
round the waist, and reaching only a little below the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 99 

knees. The upper part of the body was scantily covered 
by a sort of chemise, with an aperture at the top for the 
head, and open at the sides. This part of their dress is 
called guepil, and is elaborately, but rudely, embroidered 
about the neck and shoulders with coloured thread. It is 
not, however, considered a very indispensible article, for 
in the village it is often laid aside. Their head-dress was 
two long tresses of their own straight black hair, inter- 
laced with a red ribbon, and wreathed round the head in 
the form of a turban. They wore neither shoes nor stock- 
ings. This was also the case with the men, except a few 
who wore a sort of sandals, called caycos, which they cut 
out of a raw hide, and fasten to their feet with thongs. 
The rest of the male dress was a light suit of cotton, a 
straw hat or a coloured kerchief on the head, and a cha- 
marra, which is made of coarse cloth, and answers all the 
purposes of cloak, blanket, carpet, and bed. ^ The men 
were slender in form, but muscular. The fine figures and 
sfraceful carriage of some of the women were remarkable. 
The firm step and erect posture for which they are also 
distinguished, are attributed to their habit of carrying 
pitchers and other objects on their heads from early child- 
hood. Both sexes conversed in their own native language, 
but were not ignorant of the Spanish, for many of them 
saluted us, as we passed, with a Dios los guarde^ or a 
vayan con la virgen. 

On entering the suburbs of St. Salvador, the appearance 
of the place was that of a large straggling country town, 
without any semblance of a populous city. As we ad- 
vanced, however, we came to some good streets, and saw 
some respectable houses and public buildings. At length, 
we reached the plaza^ and here we made a halt. I had 
the two letters of introduction, furnished by Don Jose, 
one to a Spanish, the other to a French gentleman, re- 
siding in that city. But being unwilling, on so slight a 
ground, to intrude upon any private family, I proceeded 
to inquire at the nearest shop whether anything lilce a ho- 



100 NARRATIVE OF A 

tel, or boarding-house, was to be found in the place. The 
person I applied to shrugged his shoulders, and said he 
believed not, unless, indeed, I was content to put up at 
the ineson. I proceeded thither at once, and was shown 
into a damp, gloomy chamber, opening into the street, 
with four bare walls and a mud floor. There was not an 
article of furniture in the room, and this, as well as any 
attendance I might require, must be procured by myself. 
I turned away from this cheerless and vulgar caravansary, 
the resort of muleteers (whose only care is to accommodate 
their beasts,) and began to consider the course I should 
now pursue. The necessity of availing myself of my let- 
ters of introduction, was quite apparent ; but which to 
prefer, whether the one addressed to the Frenchman, or 
that to the Spaniard, was a question that I hesitated to de- 
termine. I was induced, however, at the instigation of 
Mr. M., to decide in favour of the Frenchman, and it was 
fortunate that I did so. 

This gentleman, whom the natives called Don Santiago, 
(the Spanish for Jacques,) had beem an ofiicer under Na- 
poleon, and was a member of the Legion of Honour ; he 
had abandoned his first profession to follow that of a mer- 
chant in America. 

Mr. M. now left me, and went to seek a friend of his, 
who, he had reason to believe, would be glad to receive 
him. 

The house of Don Santiago being pointed out to me, I 
went thither, and presenting him my letter, stated frankly 
my embarrassment, in consequence of not being able to 
find lodgings, and requested his assistance. This appeal 
was responded to by him in the most kind and liberal 
manner, for he at once offered me his house and table, and 
desired that I would consider myself at home. 

I had scarcely accepted this friendly offer, when I re- 
ceived a visit from Mr. P., an American gentleman, and a 
resident in St. Salvador. He had come, he said, to make 
me a tender of his services, and added that he was Consul 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 101 

for the United States in that city, and had been for many 
years. On hearing this, Don Santiago, with the vivacity 
of a Frenchman, indulged in an exclamation of surprise. 
He had also resided a long time in St. Salvador, and was 
well acquainted with Mr. P., but had never heard till then 
of his holding such an office. " Vrainient,^'' said he, " I 
never knew till now that you was American Consul here ; 
I wonder if your Government knows it; c^est Men plai- 
santP I thanked Mr. P. for his kind offers, and observed 
to him that all my wants and wishes had been anticipated 
by Don Santiago. 

The city of St. Salvador, at the time I visited it, was the 
seat of Government, The legislative and executive au- 
thorities, either from policy or convenience, had removed 
thither from Guatemala, which had always been the capi- 
tal, and is the largest city of the Republic. The latter 
place, however, was still the residence of General Mora- 
zan, the President, who had taken the command of the 
army, and directed thence the operations of the troops. 

St. Salvador, which may be considered the second city 
of Central America, is the head of the State, or Depart- 
ment, of that name, and contains a population of about fif- 
teen thousand souls, including Indians and mulattoes. 
The other towns of any note in this State are St. Vicente, 
Santana, and Sonsonate. It is situated some fifty miles 
from the Pacific. Its trade and manufactures are very 
limited ; the wealth of the place consisting chiefly in its 
agricultural productions. The city is laid out with con- 
siderable regularity; the streets crossing each other at 
right angles, except in the suburbs, where this plan has 
not been so strictly adhered to. In the centre of the city 
is the plaza, or market-place, three sides of which are 
lined with shops, with porticos before them, supported by 
a colonnade. On the other side is the church, a fine edi- 
fice, in a good style of architecture. There is also, on this 
side, a large house, where the members of the Legislature 
assemble when Congress is in session. The plaza just 



102 NARRATIVE OP A 

mentioned is crowded on market days with country-peo- 
ple, bringing the produce of their farms. All the fruits 
and vegetables of the tropics may then be seen exposed for 
sale on mats and manias spread upon the ground. The 
variety of costumes and complexions, and the noise and 
bustle of the buyers and sellers, constitute a picturesque 
and animated scene. The primitive custom of trading by 
barter, I found, to my surprise, was still in existence there ; 
Indian corn, or cocoa, being used in such cases as a sub- 
stitute for a metallic currency. 

One of my first cares after arriving at St. Salvador, was 
to obtain information in regard to the best mode of accom- 
plishing, in safety, my journey to Guatemala, where the 
President of the Republic and the diplomatic agent of the 
United States were both residing. With this view, I called 
on the Yice-President, Mr. Ibarra, who received me with 
much affability and politeness. The apartment where I 
saw him was decorated at one extremity by a dais^ or 
canopy, of red damask, with an arm-chair and table be- 
neath, also covered with damask, forming altogether some- 
thing like a throne. He was not sitting there, however, 
when I visited him, but at another table, covered with 
various papers and books, among which I noticed one ob- 
ject that seemed to me very unofficial, and rather out of 
place — a huge poignard., the sheath and handle of which 
were of silver, beautifully wrought. On my stating to him 
the object of my visit, he manifested the most sincere dis- 
position to promote my views, as well on my account, as 
from respect to the Government of the United States. He 
would confer, he said, with the Secretary of State and of 
War on the subject, and directed me to call on that gen- 
tleman to learn his decision. 

The next morning, accordingly, I waited on Don Mi- 
guel Alvarez, the Secretary alluded to. Of this gentle- 
man a curious circumstance had been related to me, which 
was that his head had never been seen uncovered, for he 
always, and in every place, wore a handkerchief round it. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 103 

On visiting him I found this to be the case, his head being 
covered by a piece of fine white cambric. I had some 
difficulty" in suppressing a smile ; and all I could do to 
keep my eyes from his head, they still wandered in that 
direction. This circumstance, however, was by no means 
injurious to his looks, for a finer and more intellectual 
countenance I have seldom seen, nor a brighter and more 
penetrating eye. 

Mr. Alvarez received me with flattering marks of atten- 
tion, and informed me that it had been determined to fur- 
nish me a military escort to take me to Guatemala, and 
that I could dispose of fifty men whenever I should think 
proper to undertake the journey. With this force, he 
said, I could proceed in perfect safety, and should have no 
occasion to retreat before any party of insurgents I might 
meet with, though twice as strong in number. This es- 
cort I ivas to take at a town, called Sonsonate. a few 
leagues distant from St/ (Salvador, but on my way from 
the city to that town I should be accompanied by an offi- 
cer, who, for so short a distance, would be all the protec- 
tion I should need. 

An arrangement so favourable to my views, left me 
nothing to desire. It only now remained for me to fix 
the day when I should resume my journey. Before my 
departure, however, I resolved to attend one of the ses- 
sions of the legislative body, and having become acquaint- 
ed with Don Manuel Rodriguez, a Senator, and a great 
admirer of the United States, I Avent in company with 
that gentleman to the Chamber of Deputies, 

The sessions are held — as I have before obseiTcd — in a 
large house appropriated to that purpose. The members sit 
in a saloon, one half of which is separated by a balustrade, 
and is occupied by the public. At the opposite extremity 
sits the Speaker, under a canopy, with a table covered 
with damask before him, and a secretary at his side. 
The members — twenty-six in number — sit on chairs dis- 
tributed along the walls, without any desks or tables be - 



104 NARRATIVE OF A 

fore thenij and look as if they were there on a visit, or had 
come to a party. None of them were speaking, when I 
entered the chamber, nor was I able at first to comprehend 
the nature of the proceedings. I observed that they rose 
one after the other, and going to the Secretary, whispered 
something in his ear, which the latter immediately put in 
writing. On my asking Mr, Rodriguez for an explana- 
tion, he told me they were electing a Secretary. This 
they did by giving in a whisper the name of the candi- 
date they voted for. Of the votes thus given, a list was 
made in writing, by which means ballots and ballot-boxes 
were dispensed with. 

On the evening of the same day I went to a private ball, 
and had an opportunity of seeing some of the belles and 
fashionables of St. Salvador. The ladies were well 
dressed, though not exactly with that elegant simplicity 
which a good taste would suggest. They exhibited that 
passion for finery, jewels, and bright colours, so prevalent 
in the country. Some of them were very pretty, and of 
those that were not, nearly all had the advantage of being 
finely formed. They danced the old Spanish country- 
dances that are now going out of fashion in Spain, as also 
quadrilles and waltzes, and their performance in them 
was sufficiently correct and graceful. 

Having fixed on the 30th of May — the third day of my 
arrival at St. Salvador — for my departure, I was visited, 
at the appointed time, by the officer who was to accom- 
pany me. He was a tall, athletic young man, and a half- 
Indian, and was mounted on a powerful mule. He was 
dressed in white cotton ; the collar and cuffs of his jacket 
faced with red ; his legs protected by rodilleras, and his 
heels armed with a ponderous pair of spurs. He wore a 
broad-brimmed glazed hat, with a band of gold lace round 
the crown ; a yellow sash was wound tightly round his 
waist, but his dagger, instead of being stuck in his sash, 
was fastened to his right knee, on the outer side, by the 
tape of the rodilleras. A gold epaulette graced his right 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 105 

shoulder, and a huge long-sword, with an iron guard 
like a punch-bowl, hung by his side. Such was the 
equipment of this American janissary who was to be my 
protector. 

For my own part, I had long felt the necessity of im- 
proving my appearance by a few articles of an ornamen- 
tal as well as a useful kind ; simplicity being by no means 
in accordance with the taste or fashion of the natives. 
Acting upon this idea, I provided myself with a silk sash, 
a pair of rodilleras, a Panama hat, and a neat chamarra, 
or mantle, to take place of a vulgar cloak, that was now 
banished to the bottom of a trunk. I also procured a pair 
of pistols, in lieu of those I had lost, and, with their hol- 
sters, attached them to my saddle. To the equipment of 
my mule I added a large sheep-skin, dyed blue, which 
covered three-fourths of the animal's length; and by way 
of correcting the plainness of my English bridle, I adorned 
it with a frontlet embroidered with coloured cotton. 

Don Santiago insisted on our breakfasting before we 
commenced the journe}'-. My Mameluke, the oiTicer, said 
that he had already taken that meal, but would join us, 
nevertheless, just to keep us company. So well, however, 
did he perform his part at the table, that no one would 
have suspected the fact he had asserted. 

I took leave of Don Santiago with an expression of the 
deep sense I entertained of his kindness. Mr. M., who 
had found that he could arrange his business in St. Sal- 
vador without proceeding any further, came to bid me 
adieu. My separation from him was painful, for I had 
found him an agreeable companion, and had become in a 
measure attached to him. We cheered each other by an- 
ticipating the pleasure we should have in meeting at Ba- 
lize ; but, alas ! this anticipation was vain and groundless, 
for it was ordained above that I should never see him 
more. 



14 



106 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Ravine of Guaramal. — Village and Curate of Ateas. — Precautiona 
against Surprise. — My Military Protector. — Volcano of Isalco. — A 
View of the Pacific. — Sonsonate. — A Night View of Volcanic Erup- 
tion. — Separation from my Protector. — The Escort. 

Soon after leaving St. Salvador, we came to a wild 
tract of country, and travelled along a rough and rocky 
path, which, after a few miles, brought us to a deep 
ravine, called el Barranco del Guaramal. This ravine, 
formed by the waters descending from the neighbouring 
mountains, is overhung by rocks and bushes, and its 
banks, which rise to a height of thirty or forty feet, are 
covered with every variety of fern and moss, and with 
wild flowers and weeds without number. There was, in 
particular, a species of bamboo, the branches of which 
fell in beautiful festoons on either side of us, or spread- 
ing from bank to bank, formed verdant arches over our 
heads that looked like the work of art. The bed of the 
ravine, in some places, consisted of loose stones, and, in 
others, of solid rock, and was the channel of a stream 
which, it being now the dry season, was not more than 
two feet deep in any part. The place was a fantastic 
assemblage of rocks, trees, and water, forming altogether 
the most wild and romantic scene I had yet beheld. 

This ravine we were obliged to follow for the space of 
half a league, making its rough and watery bed our road, 
for want of any other. At length we succeeded, by clam- 
bering up the banks, in gaining a smoother ground, and 
proceeded along a narrow path till we came to a dense 
forest. Here we had to unravel the mazes of a labyrinth 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 107 

of verdure for quite two hours, when we reached a plain ^ 
where we saw the village of Ateas, 

Arriving at this village, my protector rode straight to 
the curate's house, and without waiting to be invited, dis- 
mounted, and announced himself and me to the Padre as 
his guests for the night. Notwithstanding the want of 
ceremony on our part, we were favourably received ; we 
were not permitted to make use of our own provisions, 
but were supplied by our host, from his own larder, with 
refreshments for ourselves and the arrieros. 

Although it was early in the afternoon when we ar- 
rived, and the distance travelled had not been much, we 
had determined, in consideration of the fatigue our beasts 
had undergone from the nature of the roads, to proceed no 
further till the following day. At night I was provided 
with a good bed. The officer attending me wrapped him- 
self up in the folds of his chamarra, and stretched his 
limbs on a mat under the piazza of the house. 

Starting early the next morning, we proceeded along 
the plain of Ateas, till we came to another wood. Here 
my conductor directed the muleteers not to lag behind, ex- 
amined his pistols, and asked me if mine were in proper 
order. He observed, at the same time, that this was a ne- 
cessary precaution to prevent our being taken by surprise; 
for though he apprehended no danger from the insurgents 
in that quarter, there was a possibility of our falling in 
with deserters and fugitives from jail, who might be roam- 
ing about the country. He then placed himself at the 
head of our little party, and rode on in silence till we 
passed the wood. 

The conversation being now resumed, he gave me some 
insight into the instructions he had received from the 
Secretary of State in regard to myself. He had been made 
responsible, he said, for my safety, till he consigned me to 
the care of the officer who was to command the escort. 
It was owing to the opinion entertained of his personal 
qualities, that he had been appointed to this commission. 



108 NARRATIVE OF A 

on the execution of which his reputation depended ; "and," 
said he, " I would rather be cut to pieces than that you 
should receive the slightest injury." I then learnt from 
him that he had commenced his military career as a private 
soldier, and had risen by his own merit to the rank of 
lieutenant which he then held. He had distinguished 
himself at the time when the country was invaded by the 
Mexicans under Filisola, and had served under General 
Morazan, to whom, and to General Saget, he was person- 
ally known. 

By an easy transition we came to the subject of the 
existing revolution, and its author the famed Carrera. 
" How, if we should meet with that rebel hero in person 7 " 
said I. " What better fortune could I wish ? " he replied. 
" Set him before me on this road, man to man, and well 
armed and well mounted as I am, and, vive Dios ! you 
shall see me return to St. Salvador with his recreant head 
hanging from my saddle-bow." These words I have no 
doubt he would have made good ; for although^ — as the 
reader will have observed — the lieutenant was a little giv- 
en to boasting, this defect is so common with his country- 
men, that it is not always an argument against courage. 

As we proceeded on our way, a deep rumbling noise 
was heard, like distant thunder. It was occasioned by the 
eruptions of the volcano of Isalco, from which we were 
only a few miles distant. A little further on, having as- 
cended an eminence, we came in full view of the volcano, 
and could see the smoke bursting in a thick column from 
the crater. The scoria and ashes emitted by the eruption 
fell in a shower round the mountain, and a stream of lava, 
though not then visible to the eye, could be traced by a 
line of smoke reaching from the crater to the base of the 
volcano. We approached within a mile of the base of this 
burning mountain, where the ground was covered with 
pumice stones and fragments of solid lava. It was a vol- 
cano of recent formation ; its commencement dating not 
more than fifty years back. It broke out from the top of 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 109 

a hill of no great elevation ; but the quantity of stones and 
lava emitted by it since its first eruption, have already 
formed a respectable mountain. The peculiarity of this 
volcano is, that the eruptions are almost continual ; so that 
if not exhausted by constant performance, it will become 
in time one of the most remarkable in the country. During 
one of its fiercest eruptions, a stream of lava so copious 
was emitted, that it reached within a hundred yards of 
the village of Isalco, situated about three miles from the 
base of the volcano, laying waste a large tract of cultivated 
land, and dooming a fertile soil to perpetual sterility. 

Passing through the village of Isalco just mentioned, 
which has a thriving appearance, and can boast of a 
church and some good houses, we came, after a short ride, 
to a very pretty Indian village, situated in the midst of a 
grove of cocoa-nut trees. The huts, which were built of 
cane and palm leaves, were scattered round without any 
order, and the inhabitants, from their dress, language, and 
habits, seemed to exist in the same primitive state as when 
the country was discovered. 

As we approached the town of Sonsonate, a view of the 
Pacific Ocean, which I beheld for the first time, awakened 
within me emotions of surprise and pleasure that I will 
not pretend to describe. It was distinctly visible towards 
the south-west, and distant about fifteen miles. I had 
now fairly traversed this part of the continent from sea to 
sea, and I gazed upon the blue expanse of the Pacific as if 
its waters exhibited something difierent from those of other 
seas. How little did I think, two months before, that I 
should so soon, or ever, have beheld this queen of oceans ! 

It was early in the day when we arrived at Sonsonate, 
where, in virtue of an introduction from an Ensflish sen- 
tleman with whom I had become acquainted at St. Salva- 
dor, I was kindly received by one of the most respectable 
merchants of the place. 

This is the largest town in the State of St. Salvador, 
next to the capital of said State. It is situated about eight 



110 NARRATIVE OP A 

miles from the sea, and is the principal part of Central 
America on the Pacific, being the neaj-est harbour for ships 
from Panama and Peru trading with Guatemala. The 
productions of the neighbouring country, destined for 
Europe, owing to the difficulty and expense attending 
their conveyance over-land to the Atlantic coast, are often 
shipped at this port, notwithstanding the long and circui- 
tous voyage to be performed ; and, for the same reason, it is 
the port through which are imported many of the foreign 
manufactures intended for the south-western coast of Cen- 
tral America. 

On the afternoon of the day of my arrival, I again 
mounted my mule, and, in company with one of the in- 
habitants of the place, rode down to the beach to take 
another view of the sea. I not only omitted asking the 
lieutenant to join me, but declined the olfer he had re- 
peatedly made to keep me company. This he took very 
much to heart, and on seeing me mount, though I pro- 
mised not to be absent over a couple of hours, he exhibited 
such symptoms of uneasiness, that I expected nothing less 
than his putting me under an interdict, and that my ex- 
cursion v/ould be prevented. He evidently considered me 
as not possessing the right of locomotion, any further than 
he might think proper to permit. He regarded me as a 
prisoner of state, or as a valuable piece of merchandize 
which had been confided to his care, and which he was 
bound to deliver in good condition. On my return, the 
gentleman I staid with assured me that my lieutenant, in 
a fit of impatience during my absence, had actually sad- 
dled his mule, and was only prevented from starting in 
quest of me by his representing to him the folly of such 
a step. 

That evening, at a late hour, I had another view of the 
volcano, the eruptions of which, in the darkness of the 
night, are infinitely more striking and magnificent than in 
the day-time. At intervals of half an hour, a blaze would 
issue from the crater to the height of two hundred feet, 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. Ill 

illuminating the sky, and casting a lurid light over the 
mountains. These eruptions were preceded by a report 
like a clap of distant thunder, or the discharge of artillery ; 
but though fierce, they were of short duration, for after 
blazing for a few seconds they subsided, when the burn- 
ing lava that streamed down the mountain, shone 
brightly and awfully through the darkness of the night. 
It was one of the grandest and most imposing specta- 
cles I had ever witnessed. 

The following morning my worthy lieutenant came to 
take leave of me. I had, in compliance with his wishes, 
made some interest to obtain him the command of the 
escort that was to take me to Guatemala ; but another 
officer, he said, had been appointed, who would call on me 
forthwith to confer with me on the subject of our journey. 
As I shook his brawny dark hand, I felt the necessity of 
presenting him some little token of friendship, and taking 
up a very pretty silver-mounted dirk that I had bought in 
New York, I presented it to him with a request that he 
would keep it for my sake. He promised to do so, as with 
a smile of complacence he put the dirk under his sash. 
He then asked me to give him a certificate of his conduct, 
which I immediately wrote out. But on my desiring 
him to satisfy himself by reading it, a deep blush crim- 
soned the dark features of the lieutenant : he could not 
read ! And thus a brave soldier, who might one day have 
been a general, was doomed, so long as he followed his 
profession, to abide in the humble station of a subaltern. 

All that day was employed in preparations for our de- 
parture on the next. The officer who had succeeded to 
the lieutenant, apprised me that he was in readiness with 
the escort, which, agreeably to my wishes, would consist 
of twenty-five infantry and twelve cavalry, and Mr. S., the 
English gentleman whom I have already mentioned, and 
who had just arrived in Sonsonate, kindly offered to ac- 
company me during the first day of the journey. 

Accordingly, the next morning — the third of June — the 



112 NARRATIVE OF A 

habitual stillness of the house where I staid was disturbed 
at an early hour by the clattering of hoofs, and rattling of 
arms, as soldiers and horses, and muleteers and mules, 
came crowding into the court-yard. At length I took 
leave of the gentleman who had so kindly entertained me, 
and mounting my mule, we sallied forth amidst a crowd 
of ragged boys who stared and wondered at us as we 
passed. 

I will not undertake to say that the soldiers of the 
escort were as brilliant in appearance as those of the 
National Guard of Paris, but neither were they so dilapi- 
dated and torn as the men with whom Falstaff refused to 
march through Coventry. They were not encumbered 
with havresacks, or baggage of any kind ; their firelocks, 
accoutrements, and chamarras, being all they had to 
carry. The dress, both of horse and foot, was of coarse 
serge, with red cuffs and collars, and straw hats. Some 
of them had neither shoes nor stockings ; others wore only 
caycos, or sandals. The cavalry, to say the truth, were 
miserably mounted, but with their long lances decorated 
with bannerets of blue and white, they had a picturesque, 
if not a very military appearance. The order of march 
was the following: the comandante, or officer of the 
escort, with the infantry, formed the head of the party ; 
then came Mr. S. and myself, with our servants, then the 
muleteers with the baggage, and, finally, the cavalry, who 
brought up the rear. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 113 



CHAPTER XV. 

Tito. — Indians of Aguisalco. — Arrival at Aguachapa. — The Postmastet^ 
— His Daughters — The Boiling Lakes. 

I HAVE omitted mentioning that on my way ffom St. 
Salvador to Sonsonate, I was joined by a humble way- 
farer, who, of his own accord, and with my tacit consent, 
attached himself to me in the capacity of a domestic. He 
was somewhat of a character. His name was Tito, or 
rather, this was the soubriquet he was known by. He 
called himself a courier of General Morazan, and said, that 
having delivered his despatches at St. Salvador, he was 
now on his way back to Guatemala- These despatches 
he had carried in his hat, where, being covered with a 
false crown made to fit exactly, they were effectually con- 
cealed. By taking bye-paths, and going considerably out 
of his way, he had succeeded in avoiding the rebel parties 
during the first days of his journey ; but at length he fell 
in with one of these bands, and was stopped. They ques- 
tioned him, and searched him all over, and talked of shoot- 
ing him as a spy. Poor Tito thought his last hour was 
come ; for he knew that if his despatches were discovered, 
he was a dead man. Fortunately they never thought of 
examining his hat. He was not permitted, however, to go 
his way ; a rusty musket was put into his hands, and he 
was ordered to follow the party. The first service that 
Tito was appointed to, was that of a sentinel, when he was 
stationed near the ruins of a church in a village. This 
was a favourable opportunity for getting rid of his de- 
spatches. Accordingly, as soon as he was left alone, he 
took them out of his hot, and thrust them under a heap of 
15 



114 NARRATIVE OP A 

bricks and mortar. On the night of the next day, after 
following the rebels a few leagues, he was ordered to per- 
form the duty of sentinel again. But this time Tito had 
no idea of waiting to be relieved, for scarcely had the cor- 
poral turned his back, when he " ordered arms," placed his 
musket against a tree to watch for him, and took to his 
heels. He fled in the darkness of the night, through wood 
and glen, and over hill and mountain, with such rapidity, 
that fear seemed to have put wings upon his feet. In an 
incredibly short space of time he reached the village where 
his despatches were concealed, and having recovered them, 
continued his route till he arrived at St. Salvador. 

To resume our narrative. The first place we came to, 
after leaving Sonsonate, was an Indian village called 
Aguisalco. Here I was forcibly struck by the singularity 
of a fact which I have already alluded to : the existence of 
the aborigines in all their original simplicity, and their ad- 
herence to the language and habits of their ancestors, even 
while living in the vicinity of large and populous towns. 
In Aguisalco, the arts and usages of civilized life seemed 
to be utterly unknown. The greater part of the individu- 
als of both sexes were totally uncovered from the waist up- 
wards ; the children were unencumbered" by any clothes 
whatever. They inhabited little huts without windows, 
lived upon plantains and tortillas, and slept in hammocks. 

A few miles further, we came to Apaneja, another Indian 
village, very similar to the one just described ; and here we 
suspended our march for a couple of hours. 

Leaving this place, we travelled through a mountainous 
and woody country, gradually ascending in our progress, 
till we came to an elevated plain, or table-land, surrounded 
by volcanic mountains. In the centre of this plain there 
is a lake, and near it the town of Aguachapa. The smoke 
could be seen issuing from the tops of the mountains, and 
even from fissures in the rocks quite near us. In several 
places the ground had sunk in, and formed apertures of 
greater or less extent, which emitted a dense vapour of a 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 115 

Strong sulphureous smell, and, I was told, were full of boil- 
ing water. Indeed, the whole of that tract of country is 
of a volcanic character, and seems to be suspended over 
an abyss of fire. 

On arriving at Aguachapa, the officer and his men were 
provided with quarters by the alcalde. Mr. S., who had 
some slight acquaintance with the postmaster, obtained ac- 
commodations at his house, not only for himself, but for 
me and Tito. This was another instance of the little cere- 
mony used in applying for lodgings, and of the kind and 
cheerful manner with which hospitality is dispensed to 
travellers. The postmaster, who was also a merchant, 
was a native of Spain. He lived in one of the best houses 
in the place. His family consisted of two daughters, one 
of whom possessed an accomplishment by no means com- 
mon in that part of the country : — she could play on the 
piano. I certainly never should have suspected the exist- 
ence of such an instrument in Aguachapa. The young 
ladies were not a little proud of it. 

The next morning a lowering sky threatened a day 
of rain. The weather, thus far, had been invariably 
fine, but the rainy season was now at hand, and what is 
here called winter was about to commence. In conse- 
quence of the aspect of the weather, we postponed our de- 
parture to the following day. In the afternoon, however, 
the clouds passed off", and the sun shone as brightly as 
ever. It was too late to resume our journey, but an op- 
portunity was afforded for visiting the volcanic phenomena 
in the immediate vicinity of the town. A party was ac- 
cordingly formed, and we proceeded on horseback to a 
low, barren plain, where we saw the boiling lakes that I 
have alluded to above, when speaking of the apertures in 
the ground emitting a dense vapour. 

Of these lakes, or ponds, there are several ; and they 
occupy a considerable tract of land. The largest is about 
a hundred yards in circumference. In this, as in all 
the others, the water, which was extremely turbid, and of 



116 NARRATIVE OF A 

a light brown colour, was boiling furiously, and rising in 
bubbles three or four feet high. The steam ascended in a 
dense white cloud, and spread for a considerable distance 
round, as I stood for some time on the bank of this natu- 
ral cauldron, gazing with awe upon its tremendous vortex. 
The heat was so great on the surface of the ground, near 
the borders of the lakes, that had our feet not been pro- 
tected by thick shoes, it could not have been endured. 
On thrusting a knife into the ground, the blade, when 
drawn out, after a few seconds, was so hot as to burn the 
fingers. Our horses, which, according to the custom 
of the country, were not shod, exhibited such symp- 
toms of uneasiness, owing to the state of the ground 
beneath them, or in consequence of the strong smell of the 
steam, that it was found necessary to leave them tied at 
some distance from the scene. In some places a little 
column of smoke issued fiercely from a hole in the 
ground, while in others, the water, in a boiling state, 
gushed out like a fountain.* The ebullitions of these 
lakes, or springs, have formed, on the borders of them, a 
deposit of the finest clay, and of every variety of colours. 
But it does not appear that the natives have profited by 
the facility thus afforded them for the manufacture of pot- 
tery. And although nothing would be more easy than 
to establish there the finest mineral baths in the world, 
this object has never occupied their attention. 



* In relation to these lakes, Le Sage's translation of Queruhin de la 
Ronda, contains the following passage: «♦ Auprfes de la ville de Trinidad 
(Aguacliapa) on voit dansun endroit fort has, sortir de la terre, sans discon- 
tinuation, una dpaisse et noire fumde, mel^e quelquefois de souffre et do 
tourbillons de feu." 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 117 



CHAPTER XVI. 

A Nifi^ht at the Hacienda del Coco. — Tito again. — The Alarm. — A Scene 
by Moonlight. — Carrera. — The " Cuesta de la Leona." — Stronghold of a 
Rebel Chief. — Another View of tlie Pacific. — The Rebels in Sight. — 
Valley of Petapa. — Lake and Volcano of Amatitan. — Another Alarm. — 
Approach to Guatemala. — View of the City. — Arrival there. — Separa- 
tion from Tito. 

We took up our march again on the second day of our 
arrival at Aguachapa. The postmaster, availing himself 
of this opportunity for forwarding the mail to Guatemala, 
entrusted me with the public correspondence. Mr. S., 
whom I had found a most amiable and accomplished man, 
took his leave of me, and returned to Sonsonate. 

The first act of the commandant, when we were fairly 
on the road, showed that he considered himself in an ene- 
my's country. Four men were sent, as scouts, in advance 
of the party, to a distance of a hundred yards, with orders, 
on discovering any rebel band, to fire a shot, and retreat 
upon the escort. The ofiicer himself kept a sharp 
look-out, especially on passing a defile, or a barranco. 

The difference of the temperature here, from that of 
the coast, was quite perceivable, for the atmosphere was 
much cooler, though not so moist ; and here and there I 
observed some of the productions of the milder climates. 
Of those peculiar to southern latitudes, the most remark- 
able were the phosphorus tree, the Indian rubber tree, a 
beautiful species of lilac, and a tree bearing an acorn of a 
bright red colour in a black cup. 

About noon we came to one of the principal rivers in 
the country, called the Verapaz, which we forded. Pur- 
suing our route, we arrived, without any accident or inci- 



118 



NARRATIVE OF A 



dent whatever, at a small farm, called Hacienda del Coco, 
where we halted for the night, having performed our day's 
journey at one heat and without stopping. Here, the offi- 
cer, after securing lodgings for himself and me, quartered 
his men under a shed open to the four winds, and situated 
on one side of the house. On the other side, the horses 
were piquetted in a row, and in the intervening space the 
soldiers were made to pile their arms. Two sentinels 
were then stationed in a position from which they could 
overlook all the approaches to the hacienda. The locality 
of the house, which was an isolated eminence in the midst 
of a plain, was a military position the most perfect, and 
capable of being defended by a small number against a 
considerable force. 

Tito, by my directions, distributed to the men an al- 
lowance of brandy and segars : an act which at once 
raised me high in their esteem, and even obtained for Tito 
an importance he had not before enjoyed. He, moreover, 
availed himself successfully of an opportunity afforded 
him here of displaying his talents as a caterer ; for out of 
very slender means he prepared a tolerable supper for the 
officer and myself This I found to be his forte, for he 
was fond of living well. He would not eat tortillas when 
wheat bread was to be had, nor drink brandy if he could 
get wine. He was active and serviceable in small mat- 
ters ; but anything like hard work he cordially abhorred. 
Thus there was no getting him to assist the arriero in 
loading the baggage. It was labour enough for him to sad- 
dle my mule. Another defect of his was that he talked 
incessantly, and was too fussy and bustling, too much 
of afaiseur d^emharras. In short, he was a light-hearted 
soul, possessing a good deal of humour and anecdote, and, 
in character, more a Frenchman than a Spaniard. 

At night I followed the example of the commandant, by 
" turning in" without taking off any part of my clothes, 
except my spurs. And these, perhaps, were the last arti- 
cle I ought to have parted with ; for, in case of being taken 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 119 

by surprise, and being obliged to run, they might have 
proved the most useful part of my equipment. My bed 
was a long wooden bench, with my chamarra for a mat- 
tress. In the dead of the night, and just as I had fallen 
into a gentle slumber, I was awakened by the cry of, quieti 
vive ? harshly uttered by one of the sentinels. The offi- 
cer, who had also heard it, was on his feet in an instant, 
and ran out to ascertain the cause of alarm. Fortunate- 
ly, there was none. The sentinel had challenged a man 
who had approached him, but who proved to be one of 
the dependents of the farm. Silence was nov/ restored, 
and those who had been disturbed once more composed 
themselves to rest. I tried to do so likewise, but in vain : 
sleep had completely fled from me. I walked out into 
the open air, and stood for a few minutes contemplating 
the scene around. The moon was coursing through the 
light and fleecy clouds that partially overcast the sky, and 
shedding a fitful radiance. On one side were the soldiers, 
stretched upon the ground in groups; on the other, the 
horses, some of them perfectly still, as if sleeping, and 
others trying to collect from the groiind a few grains of 
scattered provender. Here the piled muskets glistened in 
the moon-beam, and there, the sentinel, pacing to and fro, 
kept his solitary watch. A dark confused prospect of 
wood and mountain was just discernible in the distance ; 
and a perfect silence prevailed around, uninterrupted ex- 
cept by the measured step of the sentinel, or the occasional 
neighing of a horse. 

At day-break I was awakened by the beating of the 
reveille. By sun-rise we had again taken up our march. 
The road now led over a rocky, barren plain, and, by a 
gradual ascent, to a mountainous ridge, after passing 
which we descended into the valley of Jalpatagua. At 
the town of this name we made a halt, as well for the pur- 
pose of taking some refreshments, as of procuring fresh 
horses for the cavalry ; for three or four of those we had 
brought with us had broken down on the road, and their 



120 NARRATIVE OF A 

riders had been obliged to follow on foot. A detention of 
a few ho^^rs was also incurred, in consequence of a report 
that a considerable band of Carrera's people was hovering 
about the neighbourhood. A scout was forthwith dis- 
patched to ascertain the fact. On his return we learned 
that one of the most noted leaders of the revolution had 
been seen in that vicinity, but with a small number of 
men only, and that he had betaken himself to a village in 
the mountains. This village was situated at no great 
distance from the road we were to pass ; but the circum- 
stances of the case were not such as to justify any further 
detention, and we resumed our inarch. 

After proceeding a few miles, we came to a steep rocky 
mountain, called la Cuesta de la Leona. The ascent was 
by a narrow winding path, sufficiently abrupt and diffi- 
cult. I happened to be in the advance, and was the first 
to reach the summit ; whence I looked back upon our 
wild and motley cavalgada, horse and foot, and baggage 
mules, forming a long line, and toiling in a zig-zag direc- 
tion up the mountain ; the bannerets of the cavalry flut- 
tering in the air, and the muskets of the infantry glittering 
in the sun. Of the foot soldiers, some held on by the 
tails of the horses, or grappled with the rocks and bushes 
to help themselves along, and others, to facilitate their 
progress, had nearly stripped themselves of their clothes, 
which were carried by their comrades who were mounted. 

Beyond this mountain, there were others equally wild 
and lofty. High up, near the crest of one of them, and 
embosomed amid rocks and bushes, was a group of huts 
like a bird's nest, which the commandant pointed out to 
me, saying that it was the village where the rebel chief, 
alluded to above, had retreated. There he was, like an 
eagle in his eyry, which was almost inaccessible, and, 
doubtless, watching us with a wistful eye as we passed 
beneath. 

Further on, an opening in the mountains afforded a 
wide and charming vista of plains stretching far away to 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 121 

the horizon. Looking in that direction, a long blue 
streak just between the earth and the sky, arrested my 
attention. It was the Pacific again ! I hailed the great 
ocean once more, and was the more agreeably surprised 
at seeing it now, from the impression I was under, that 
we had left that sea far behind. But though we had 
diverged considerably from the line of the coast, the ele- 
vated position we had attained enabled us to obtain an- 
other, though a dim and distant, view of it. There was a 
singularity in the appearance of the sea, as I beheld it : it 
seemed to be higher than the land, and as if floating in the 
air. 

About sun-set, after a fatiguing ride over rough and 
difficult roads, we reached a place called el Oratorio. 
Here the alcalde was required to furnish rations for the 
escort, and lodgings for ourselves. This requisition was 
complied with ; and then Tito had to exercise his inge- 
nuity once more in providing our evening meal. In pur- 
suance of this object he brought me an armadillo, which, 
he said, was a delicate morsel. But the deHcacy came in 
such a questionable shape, that I was fain to decline it. 
After beating about awhile, he brought me an old rooster, 
which proving acceptable, he killed, and, by some means 
or other, made sufficiently tender. On this the officer and 
I made our supper, leaving him and the arrieros to feast 
on the armadillo. 

Our next day's march brought us at an early hour to a 
river, called los Esclavos, where I was struck with the 
novelty of a magnificent stone bridge, of nine arches, and 
about sixty paces in length. It was built in 1792, and is 
thrown over the river at a point where the banks are hio-h 
and precipitous, and the current extremely rapid. A few 
miles beyond, we came to a small town havino- a crabbed 
Indian name, which sounded somewhat like Cojiniqui- 
lapa. Here we halted an hour or two, and starting again, 
pursued our route until we came in view of a hacienda 
where, having now performed a regular day's journey, we 
16 



122 NARRATIVE OP A 

resolved on passing the night. This hacienda, called el 
Corral, was a large estate, in which nopal, maize, and 
other productions, were extensively cultivated. The 
house was placed unreservedly at our disposal. It was 
large and substantial, and had a little chapel annexed to 
it, surmounted by a bell, for calling the people to mass. 
There was a spacious hall in the house, and a fine piazza 
in front of it. The latter was assigned to the soldiers ; 
the horses and mules were confined in a "potrero," hard 
by, where they were abundantly supplied with provender. 

This time, instead of taxing the hospitality of our host 
for a supper, we were enabled to invite him to a very good 
one, prepared by Tito, whose good fortune it had been, on 
the road, to fall in with a fine piece of venison, which he 
bought, and also some cream-cheese and a bunch of 
plantains. 

We learned from the owner of the estate that a few 
nights before, a small party of marauders had made their 
appearance before his house, demanding admission. On 
being refused, they attempted to force an entrance. He 
was posted within with his servants, and warned them that 
he would shoot the first man that passed the threshold. 
After some consultation among themselves, they drew off 
their forces. He showed us his little armoury, consisting 
of ten or a dozen fire-arms, besides swords and poniards. 
He said, that on seeing us approach, he had been in some 
alarm, apprehending a second attack, but, on a nearer 
view, had become satisfied in regard to our character and 
intentions. 

A heavy shower fell in the course of the night. It was 
the first rain that had fallen in any quantity for six 
months. The next day we found the roads, in conse- 
quence, rather heavy, and the atmosphere considerably 
cooler. The latter circumstance, however, was also attri- 
butable, in a great measure, to the elevation we had at- 
tained, for in our progress from the coast, we had gradu- 
ally, but continually ascended, and were now on the high 
table-lands in the vicinity of Guatemala. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 123 

. During this day's journey, the only incident worth men- 
tioning was the appearance of some fifty of Carrera's peo- 
ple, who showed themselves on a height near the road, 
but hardly within gim-shot. They gave us a shout as 
we passed, and abused the soldiers of the escort, but ex- 
hibited no disposition to interrupt our march. They were 
uniformly dressed in chamarras of a dark-coloured cloth. 
The weapons they were armed with could not be dis- 
tinguished. 

Passing a rocky ridge, we came to one of those charm- 
ing valleys that occur so frequently in travelling through 
Central America, and which I have endeavoured to de- 
scribe in other parts of this narrative. It was enclosed by 
a range of sloping hills and lofty sierras, or mountains, 
among which might be seen, towering over the rest, the 
volcano of Amatitan. In the plain below, the great lake 
bearing the same name expands to the view, nine miles in 
length and three in breadth. This lake is fathomless at a 
distance of fifty yards from the shore ; at least, no bottom 
has been found with a line of three hundred fathoms. 
There is a tradition that the Indians, on the arrival of the 
Spaniards, threw into this lake all their riches. One ex- 
tremity loses itself round the foot of the volcano ; the 
other is closed in by a natural barrier of rocks and hills. 
The mountain and the lake, and the general appearance of 
the country, give evidence of some great natural convul- 
sion. The road, for a few miles, led along the shores of 
the lake, and then through a highly cultivated country, 
till we arrived at the town of Petapa, situated on the bor- 
ders of the valley. At this town we came to a halt, after 
performing a day's journey of twenty-seven miles. The 
fatigue of the soldiers in this march had been greater than 
usual ; some of the cavalry had been obliged to dismount 
and lead their horses. They were, accordingly, at the re- 
quest of Tito, allowed a larger allowance than usual of 
segars and brandy, in addition to their rations. The officer 
and myself were billeted on one of the inhabitants. 



124 NARRATIVE OF A 

In the course of the night, at a late hour, we were 
alarmed in no slight degree by the arrival at Petapa of a 
detachment of soldiers, of v/hose character and designs we 
were utterly ignorant. The officer of the escort, suspect- 
ing they might be a party of the enemy, immediately 
roused his men, and put them under arms. Happily this 
alarm, like the one previous, was attended by no disagree- 
able results ; the detachment consisting of soldiers of the 
Federal Government who were exploring the country. 

The next morning, after travelling a few miles over a 
mountainous tract, we entered upon the vast plains sur- 
rounding the city of Guatemala, from which we were now 
distant only twelve miles. We had another and a nearer 
view of the volcano of Amatitan, but it was not in a state 
of eruption. Wide meadows, enlivened by numerous 
herds of cattle and horses, were spread before us, extend- 
ing in some directions as far as the eye could reach. 
Several pretty hamlets also occurred at intervals, with lit- 
tle plantations round them of maize, plantain, and sugar- 
cane. The road, too, was enlivened by a number of pas- 
sengers going and coming, on horseback and on foot ; a 
circumstance which in itself indicated our approach to a 
populous city. At length we came in full view of the 
city of Guatemala. The domes and spires of its lofty 
churches and public buildings glittered in the sun, while 
the white walls of the houses gleamed through the trees 
and foliage of its numerous gardens. The environs of the 
city were verdant with shady groves and cultured slopes. 
The surrounding country was a succession of wide undu- 
lating plains, terminating, on one side, with two volcanic 
mountains, and, on the other, with a rocky ridge, beyond 
which could be seen, dimly defined in the horizon, the 
lofty peaks of the Andes. 

Just before coming to the city, I took leave of my escort, 
and went forward with Tito and the arriero who was 
charged with my baggage. The poor soldiers, who had 
brought me in safety to my journey's end, were not forgot- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



125 



ten, nor the patience with which they had endured so 
much fatigue on my account, nor their docihty and admi- 
rable subordination ; and, in separating from them, I made 
them, in the manner that I knew would be most agree- 
able, a slight compensation for their services. 

I entered the city through one of the principal streets, 
which was well paved, and provided with side-walks. 
The houses, though but one story high, and indeed the 
town in general, had a neat and respectable appearance. 
I was conducted to the house of the Charge d' Affaires of 
the United States. This gentleman, though much sur- 
prised by my arrival, which had been quite unexpected, 
received me with every mark of kindness and attention. 

Having no further occasion for the services of the quon- 
dam courier, I made him a small pecuniary remuneration, 
accompanied by a few kind words, and an intimation that 
we must part. His countenance brightened for a moment 
at sight of the money, (the amount of which perhaps ex- 
ceeded his expectations,) but fell again immediately, and 
assumed a strong expression of sorrow and surprise. He 
was evidently loth to quit me. He v/ould gladly have 
stayed with me a little longer. But I gave no encourage- 
ment, and he turned to go away, then came back to thank 
me again, and once more looked round, as he left the 
room, to give me an opportunity of recalling him. Poor 
Tito ! I was really affected by the attachment he had 
conceived for me in so short a time, but I was constrained 
to let him go. 

It was the 9th of June when I arrived at Guatemala ; 
twenty-eight days since the commencement of my journey 
at Izabal, and about two months since my departure from 
Washington. 



126 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Sketch of Central America. — Bays and Harbours. — Rivers,. — Lakes. — 
Projected Canal of Nicaragua. — Mountains and Volcanoes. — Vegetable 
and Animal Productions. — Mines. 

Having availed myself, during the brief period of my 
stay in the city of Guatemala, of such opportunities as 
occurred, which were not many, of obtaining information 
in regard to Central America, I will venture to offer a 
few remarks on this interesting portion of the western 
hemisphere. 

The territory called Central America extends from the 
eighth to the eighteenth degree of north latitude, and is 
bounded on the north by Mexico and the bay of Hondu- 
ras ; on the east by the Caribbean sea and Veragua ; and 
on the west and south by the Pacific ocean. It may be 
considered as a great isthmus, separating the Atlantic from 
the Pacific, and connecting the two grand divisions of 
Spanish America. This isthmus presents a coast-line of 
nearly a thousand miles on either side. Its breadth from 
sea to sea in no place exceeds four hundred miles, and at 
the narrowest point is scarcely one hundred. 

The situation of this country is peculiarly favourable 
for commercial intercourse with every other part of the 
world. On the south-western side its shores are washed 
by the Pacific ; and the whole of the northern border lies 
open to the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Both the 
Pacific and Atlantic coasts are indented with numerous 
bays and harbours, of which the principal is the bay 
of Honduras, in the latter sea, comprising the ports of 
TmxillOj Izabal, and Omoa, and communicating with the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 127 

interior by means of a river which leads up to the lake 
called Golfo duke, already described. In the same bay is 
situated the port of St. Thomas, of which mention has also 
been made' in another part of this narrative. On the Pa- 
cific shore is the bay of Concha^ua, and the ports of la 
Union, Realejo, Sonsonate, and Istapa, of which the latter 
is the nearest to Guatemala, but is only a road-stead, and 
by no means safe, owing to the heavy swell constantly 
rolling in from the ocean. 

The most considerable of the Central American islands 
are Bonaca and Ruatan, in the bay of Honduras ; the 
archipelago of Chiriqui, in the Carribean sea; and the 
islands in the bay of Conchagua, in the south. 

The principal rivers are the Usumasinta, which falls 
into the bay of Campeachy; the Polochie, which dis- 
charges itself into the Golfo dulce ; the Balize, the Hondo, 
and the Molagua, also called the Gualan, which flow into the 
bay of Honduras ; the Pasa, Lempa, and Esclavos, which 
contribute to the Pacific. These rivers are navigable for 
many miles into the interior. There are others of less 
note, which are not navigable. The country also abounds 
in warm and medicinal springs. 

The lakes most deserving of notice are those called 
Golfo dulce, or Great Fresh Water Lake of Izabal, and 
Amatitan, which have been mentioned before, and espe- 
cially the great lake of Nicaragua, which is connected 
with that of Leon. 

The lake of Nicaragua is situated in the province of 
that name, at a distance of about a hundred miles from the 
Atlantic ocean, with which it communicates by the river 
St. Juan. This river is now considered the most advan- 
tageous and most practicable point for establishing a con- 
nexion between the two oceans. It is believed to be navi- 
gable for vessels of three or four feet draft from its port to 
the lake; and for vessels of twice that depth, as far as the 
point where the falls commence, which are the great difli- 
culty to be surmounted. The surface of the lake, accord- 



128 NARRATIVE OF A 

ing to the statement of a Spanish engineer who executed a 
survey in 1781, is forty-six feet above the level of the Pa- 
cific ; its depth, about fifteen fathoms. The distance from 
that sea to the south-western extremity of the lake of 
Leon, which communicates, as before stated, with that of 
Nicaragua, is, by the report of .the said engineer, fifteen 
geographical miles, and the intervening land is said to be 
sufficiently level to admit of the opening of a canal that 
should unite those lakes with the Pacific. 

Should the grand work of uniting the waters of the 
two oceans be undertaken and accomplished, a revolution 
would be caused in the commercial world, attended with 
results in the highest degree benefi^cial to the inhabitants 
of both hemispheres. This part of the continent would 
become the great thoroughfare of nations ; and Central 
America would at once rise to an importance, both com- 
mercial and political, which otherwise she never can 
attain. 

Proposals for opening this communication were made 
by a company of English merchants in 1824. The fol- 
lowing yeai- similar proposals were made by some mer- 
chants of the United States. But in neither case does it 
appear that any specific attention was given to the subject 
by the Government of the country. Subsequently, a pro- 
position to the same effect was made by the Dutch, which 
was admitted, and the King of the Netherlands was to be 
stockholder to the amount of one half of the capital that 
might be invested. But, from whatever cause, this plan 
also fell through, and matters remain in the same state as 
before. 

It seems singular that a subject so peculiarly interesting 
to the United States shauld not have attracted more atten- 
tion in our country. The enterprize, however, could only be 
successfully undertaken under the auspices of the Govern- 
ment, and with the sanction of Congress. Were the sub- 
ject properly recommended to the consideration of the na- 
tional legislature, its importance could hardly fail of being 



JOURNEY TQ GUATEMALA. 129 

perceived and duly appreciated ; and the result, whatever 
it might be, could not but reflect credit on the administra- 
tion. There is also reason to believe, that any steps that 
our diplomatic agent in Guatemala might be instructed to 
take towards a negotiation with the Central American 
Government on this subject, would be met by that Govern- 
ment with alacrity. There exists on the part of the peo- 
ple and authorities of that country a decided predilection 
for Americans, and for every thing that is American. 
They imitate the institutions, the laws, the policy of the 
United States, and look up to this country as their great 
political model. They at one time solicited to be admitted 
into the Union as a new State in our Republic. While 
France and England are trying in vain to' etfect a treaty 
with their Government, the United States have renewed, 
or are on the point of renewing, one that was concluded 
several years since. Thus, every thing seems to favour 
and facilitate the accomplishment of an enterprise, which, 
besides enhancing in no slight degree the national glory of 
the United States, would be productive of the greatest 
commercial advantages to its citizens. 

That some difficulties exist towards realizing this ob- 
ject, cannot be denied. One is the disturbed state of Cen- 
tral America at the present moment, and the civil commo- 
tions to which it is subject at all times. Another would 
be to obtain a grant of land on each side of the river St. 
Juan, with 'the sovereignty of the country ceded, without 
which a sufficient security would not be affiarded to the 
persons and properties of our citizens who might establish 
themselves there. But these difficulties are not insur- 
mountable ; and even should they prove so, the attempt to 
remove them would be itself a glory, and the want of 
success an honourable failure. 

But returning to the subject of this chapter : the face 
of the country is generally mountainous. It presents, as I 
have heretoforie observed, a succession of sierras,^ or moun- 
17 



130 NARRATIVE OF A 

tains, with intervening vallies, except in the neighbour- 
hood of Guatemala, where the table-lands commence, 
which are vast undulating plains, spreading for many- 
leagues around. All the physical and natural peculiari- 
ties of other countries are united in the formation of the 
general aspect of Central America : delightful valleys 
teeming with animal and vegetable life, extensive prairies 
clothed with verdure, gentle rivulets and foaming tor- 
rents, huge broken rocks, inaccessible mountains and 
fiery volcanoes, dense gloomy forests, grassy knolls, and 
shady groves. The same variety is remarkable in the 
climate, as will be shown anon, and in the vegetable 
productions of the country. 

That elevated range forming the spine of the whole 
continent, styled in South America the Andes, and in the 
United States the Rocky Mountains, may be traced in its 
regular continuance through Central America, though at 
a less elevation, dividing this country into two grand sec- 
tions ; the waters on the north of the ridge falling into 
the Atlantic, and on the south flowing into the Pacific* 
This great range approaches to the Atlantic, and recedes 
from the Pacific, in Central America, in a greater degree 
than in any other part of the American continent, and is 
more abrupt in its slope towards the former ocean than 
towards the latter. It traverses the western part of the 
State of Guatemala, and constitutes that region called 
los Altos, or highlands, of Totonicapan and Q,uesaltenan- 
go. It is interrupted in its course by two transversal val- 
lies, in one of which is situated the lake of Nicaragua ; 
in the other are the plains of Comayagua. Nearly the 
whole coast of the Pacific is bordered by an alluvial 
plain, varying in breadth ; and the line where this plain 

* A rivulet is pointed out in the vicinity of Guatemala that may be 
considered a curiosity. At a little distance from its source it branches 
off into two streams, one of which can be traced to the Atlantic ; the 
other flows into the Pacific. 



JOUKNEY TO GUATEMALA. 131 

joins the base of the range, is crowned by a succession of 
volcanoes. Of these, the most remarkable are Amatitan, 
Isalco, Cosigiiina, and another called the water volcano, 
from the circumstance of its emitting torrents of water 
instead of fire. The latter is said to be the loftiest of the 
volcanoes, its summit being 13,000 feet above the level of 
the sea. There are a vast number of others of less note. 
They are supposed to be the great causes of the earth- 
quakes in Central America ; yet the country in their vi- 
cinity is more thickly inhabited than elsewhere. Omote- 
peque is the only inhabited island in the lake of Nicara- 
gua, and is at the same time the only one in the lake in 
which a volcano is found. 

One of the great advantages of this country, is that of 
enjoying a climate peculiar to itself; a mild, temperate, 
and delicious climate, which has none of the varieties of 
the seasons ; for although the tropical heats are experi- 
enced in the low lands along the coast, in the rest of the 
country a perpetual spring prevails, and the earth is 
clothed with a rich and never-failing verdure. The cause 
of this temperature is the great elevation of this part of the 
American continent, which is some five thousand feet 
above the level of the sea, while the summits of some of 
the mountains rise to twelve or fourteen thousand feet 
above that level. In the interior, the variation of the 
thermometer of Fahrenheit is not more than 15° in the 
course of the year, the mercury seldom rising above 75° 
or falling below 60. The difference between the tempe- 
rature of the coasts and that of the altos, or hio-hlands, is 
much greater, and comprises, under the same degree of 
latitude, the extremes of heat and cold. The climate is 
also very healthy, except in the immediate vicinity of the 
coasts and on the banks of the great rivers, where fevers 
and other diseases are prevalent. 

The seasons are divided into the dry and the rainy : 
the first, which is called summer, lasts from January to 



132 



NARRATIVE OP A 



June, and the other, which is winter, comprises the re- 
maining six months of the year. Nothing can be more 
regular than the commencement of the rains at the period 
presented by Nature, and their cessation after they have 
lasted their appointed time. It is also a singular fact, that 
the rain scarcely ever falls in the morning, but almost 
always about two hours after the sun has passed the me- 
ridian. As the country is everywhere provided with nu- 
merous springs and rivers, the continuation of dry weather 
for nearly six months is not attended with any great in- 
convenience. In one respect it is highly advantageous, 
as it is not only favourable, but indispensable, to the pro- 
duction of cochineal, one of the great staple commodities 
of the country. 

The soil in Central America is for the most part ex- 
ceedingly fertile. In the plains, and especially in the 
vallies, it is a dark rich mould of alluvial formation, 
which might serve as manure for lands in other parts of 
the world, and is in some places six feet deep. The over- 
flowings of some of the rivers and the numerous springs 
by which the country is watered, give to the land a green 
and fresh appearance, even in the dry season. To this 
fertility of soil, and to the graduation of temperature — the 
natural consequence of an advantageous scale of altitudes 
— may be attributed the variety and abundance of the 
vegetable productions of Central America, which embrace 
nearly all those of Europe and the West Indies, besides 
some that are peculiar to the country. Of these the most 
valuable are indigo, cochineal, tobacco, cocoa, mahogany, 
logwood, vanilla, cotton, and sassafras, which are the 
great staples of the country, and the chief articles of ex- 
portation. Indian corn, sugar, and coffee, are also pro- 
duced in considerable quantity, and a variety of dye 
woods, as also gums, spices, and balsams, especially the 
balsam of Tolu, so much esteemed. 

Of dye woods, the following, next to logwood, are the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 133 

most valuable : the St. Juan and the Poro, which yield a 
beautiful yellow, and particularly the Annona reticulata, 
the peculiarity of which is that its wood, though perfectly 
white, changes colour on being cut or slit, and turns to a 
clear brilliant red, that is easily extracted, and is quite 
durable. 

The gums most in esteem are copal, arable, quitini, 
guapinol, (an excellent perfume,) incense, chiracca, and 
the gum of the chesnut tree. An oily substance is also 
extracted from the fruit of this tree, from which candles 
are made, as fine as those of white wax, and burning 
with a clear, steady light, without giving out much 
carbon. 

Besides the mahogany tree, there are others which are 
remarkable for their size and beauty, or for their peculiar 
fitness for cabinet work ; as cedars of gigantic dimensions, 
the Ceyha, or silk-cotton tree, the Palma real, or wild 
cabbage tree, the wild tamarind and the cocoa-nut tree. 
Also the lignumvitse, the oak, the quachepelin, a very 
strong wood suitable for stakes to build on, as not rotting 
in the ground, the quiebrahacha, which is also remarkable 
for its durability and hardness, and the comenegro, or 
iron tree, so highly esteemed in the East Indies and in 
other countries. 

Of the vegetables of this country, one of the most use- 
ful is a small species of bean, perfectly black, which is 
very extensively cultivated, and constitutes the chief 
nourishment of the working classes. Another is the plan- 
tain, which thrives well there, and is consumed in great 
quantities. 

The fruits deserving any notice, are the chirimoya, a 
species of annona, which is very luscious and refreshing, 
the quanavana, another species of annona, the aguacate, 
or alligator pear, [Persica gratissima,) the corozo, which 
is a cocoa-nut in miniature, being not larger than a hen's 
Qgg, the pine-apple, the sapote, {cumirhita citrullus,) the 



134 NARRATIVE OF A 

caymito, commonly called in English the star apple, and 
the well-known bannana. The fruits peculiar to higher 
latitudes are also produced there, but not in the same per- 
fection. 

The mineral productions of Central America are also 
deserving of consideration. The gold mines of Costa- 
rica, and the silver of Honduras, are rapidly increasing in 
their products. Those of Aguacate, in the former State, 
have produced great riches since their discovery. The 
extreme richness of this mine, and the circumstance of its 
being situated on the coast of the Caribbean sea, were the 
cause of this part of the country being called Costa rica, 
or rich coast. There are other mines in the province of 
Comayagua, in New Segovia, in Nicaragua, and in the 
State of St. Salvador ; some of them so productive, that 
every one hundred pounds of ore extracted yield seventeen 
marks six ounces of silver, or nearly twelve per cent.* In 
other parts of the mountainous regions of Central America, 
there are strong indications of the existence of mines. 
The ore sometimes is found quite near the surface of the 
earth. A valuable piece of silver ore was shown me, 
while I was at Truxillo, by a man who said he had ob- 
tained it from the mountains in the neighbourhood of that 
place, just beneath the surface of the earth, and that by 
searching for ore in places that he was acquainted with, 
he could any day earn five or six dollars. It was by this 
kind of industry that he maintained himself 

The seas of Central America abound in pearls and tor- 
toise shell. 

In respect of the animals of the country, the most im- 
portant are those which are not indigenous to the conti- 
nent, but which have been introduced by the Spaniards, 
as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and hogs. The horses are 
not of a very superior breed, but the mules are exceedingly 

* A mark of silver is eight ounces. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 135 

hardy and useful. The woods and mountains contain 
some wild animals, but none very fierce or powerful. 
The most remarkable are tigers and wolves. The former 
are rather a species of leopard, and seldom attack a man, 
but live on game, and sometimes come into the villages 
and seize on the dogs and cattle. They are hunted for 
the sake of their skins, which are very beautiful. The 
zorillo is a small fox, which emits an effluvia so powerful 
and offensive, that it stupifies, and has been known to 
cause the death of a dog that had killed it. The same 
effluvia leaves a blue dye on every thing it comes in 
contact with. The tapir, commonly called the moun- 
tain cow, is the largest of the quadrupeds in a wild state, 
but in appearance is something between a hog and ele- 
phant. The zahino and the striped boar are also found 
in Central America, and a great variety of monkeys. 
Dear and wild hogs are common in the woods. Of the 
latter, there is a species with an excrescence on its back, 
from which a fetid matter is constantly exuding. This 
excrescence the natives call the navel, and say it must be 
immediately cut out on the animal being killed, as it 
contaminates the flesh. 

The otter and the manati are to be found in the rivers, 
which also abound with alligators. The latter are some- 
times very large and dangerous. Concerning these ani- 
mals, a curious circumstance was related to me, for the 
truth of which, however, I cannot vouch. The wound 
produced by the bite of the alligator very soon fills with 
worms, and becomes exceedingly dilficult to cure. But if 
when a person is bitten, he immediately washes the wound 
in the water of the stream frequented by that animal, no 
worms appear, and a cure is easily effected. 

Of snakes, lizards, and other reptiles, there is a great va- 
riety and abundance. The most dangerous are the rattle- 
snake, and another species called the Tamagazo ; but par- 
ticularly the latter, which is so venomous, that its bite oc- 



136 NARRATIVE OF A 

casions instant death. Happily, there exists an infaUible 
antidote to the venom of these reptiles in a plant called 
el Guaco, the leaves or roots of which pounded and ap- 
plied to the wound, or used internally by chewing them, 
and swallowing the juice, very rarely fail to effect a cure. 
This plant is also worn round the legs or ankles by per- 
sons in the woods, to prevent the bite of a snake. It is al- 
ways to be found near places frequented by venomous 
animals. Its effect on them is believed to be narcotic and 
soothing — a sort of intoxication, which disar'ms them of 
their malignity. I was told by a merchant at Izabal,- that 
having allowed the guaco to grow up in his garden, the 
place in a short time was infested by snakes ; but that on 
rooting up the plant, and clearing his garden of it, these 
unwelcome visitors disappeared. It is believed that the 
guaco might prove an excellent remedy against the 
cholera, as also in cases of hydrophobia ; but it does not 
appear that the experiment has yet been made. The 
Mica is another snake, the reputed peculiarity of which is 
that it does not bite, but lashes with its tail, which it uses 
like a whip. In doing this, the mica fixes its head in the 
ground, and exerts itself so effectually, as to flog an enemy 
to death. I do not vouch for the truth of this marvellous 
story. The Boa is also found in some parts of Central 
America. The Armadillo and the Iguana are common, 
and are said to be excellent eating. Scorpions and centi- 
pedes are also numerous, and the more troublesome, as 
they infest the dwellings of the inhabitants. 

The birds of Central America are deservedly celebrated 
for their great variety, and the extraordinary beauty of 
their plumage. Among the most conspicuous, is the 
Quesal, or Trogon resplendens, which is to be found only 
in the wild and remote regions of Central America and 
the south of Mexico. Those frequenting the forests of 
(^uesaltenango, from which they derive their name, are 
much the finest. This bird is of the shape and size of a 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 137 

pigeon. Its plumage is of a metallic golden green, except 
that of the wings, which is spotted with a brilliant red 
and black. The head is adorned with a soft silky crest 
of short barred feathers, of a beautiful green. But the 
distinguishing feature of this bird, and that which consti- 
tutes its peculiarity and beauty, is the plumage of its tail, 
which consists of three or four loose wavy feathers of a 
rich green, powdered with gold. These feathers are 
barred, and about three feet long. They used to be worn 
by the aborigines of America as ornaments for the head. 
In brilliancy of plumage, and in symmetry of form, this 
bird — even setting aside the grace and beauty of its pen- 
dent plumage — is unrivalled among the feathered tribe. 
"When deprived of the ornament of its tail, the quesal 
seems sensible of the injury : it sickens and dies. Such 
is the importance it attaches to this part of its gorgeous 
dress, that the nest it makes is provided with two aper- 
tures, one for egress, the other for regress, in order to 
avoid the necessity of turning,^ by which the feathers of 
its tail might be broken or disordered. For the same rea- 
son it seldom makes a short or sudden turn. The In- 
dians held it sacred, and used to say that the Creator, 
when he formed the world, assumed the form of a 
quesal. 

The chorcha, a species of oreole, is remarkable for the 
curious construction of its nest, which is of the kind 
called pensile, from the circumstance of its being sus- 
pended in the air, by a mere thread, from the extremity 
of a lofty branch. In the construction of this nest, an 
architectural conception is displayed, the most ingenious, 
artificial, and complicate, that it is possible to imagine. 
It is a bird of small size, and its plumage is black and 
yellow. It is to be found also in the United States ; and 
as a very correct account of it is given in Wilson's Orni- 
thology, any description of it here would be super- 
fluous. 

18 



138 NARRATIVE OF A 

The Sinsonte may be styled the American nightin-; 
gale. It has also some affinities with the mocking-bird 
of the United States. From the peculiar softness and 
clearness of its note, it ranks the first among the singing 
birds of Central America. Parrots, perroquets, and mac- 
kaws, abound in the woods. The gay plumage of the 
latter, in its contrast with the deep green foliage of the 
trees, has a beautiful effect. 

Besides these birds, there are numerous others equally 
remarkable, which it would be tedious to enumerate ; for 
in no part of the world is the ornithological department 
more rich. than i» this country. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 139 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Population of Central America. — Trade.-^Form of Government. — Politi- 
cal Events. — Insurrection of the Indians. — Account of Carrera. — 
Deputies sent to him. — Capture of Guatemala.-^Distracted State of the 
Country. — Military Force of Central America. — Revenue. — Church 
Establishment. — Public Debt. — Principal Men. 

The population of Central America is estimated at 
one million nine hundred thousand souls, of all descrip- 
tions, besides the Mosquito Indians, who live in a state of 
independence. This population is divided into four grand 
castes, namely, Indians, whites, blacks, and ladinos — • 
a mixture of the other three. The relative number of 
these classes is approximately as follows : 

Indians, . . . 685,000, ) 

Whites, . . . 475,000, } Total, 1,900,000. 

Ladinos,* . . . 740,000, ) 

The number of blacks is too inconsiderable to be taken 
into account. It may also be remarked, that the ladinos 
of this country cannot be assimilated to the West Indian 
mulattoes, as their complexions are much fairer, and 
many are scarcely distinguishable from the whites. 

The Indians of Central America, with the exception of 
one or two small tribes, are domesticated, and subject 
to the Government of the country ; many of them speak 
the Castilian, and are blended in their manners with the 
mass of the population. But, as I have heretofore had oc- 
casion to observe, they preserve in a great degree their 

* Having neglected to ascertain why this class of people are denomi- 
nated " ladinos," I may be allowed to conjecture that the name was 
suggested by the cliaracter of this people, illustrated by the word ladino, 
which, in Spanish, means shrewd, or cunning. 



140 NARRATIVE OF A 

aboriginal languages and customs. They even retain 
some vestiges of their ancient reHgious rites and supersti- 
tions, and it requires all the vigilance of the curates to 
prevent their falling back into idolatry. In Costarica 
there is a small tribe called the Valientes, who are allowed 
to retain their independence. They inhabit the woods 
and forests of that State, but are in constant intercourse 
with the rest of the population, and are peaceable and 
honest. The Mosquito Indians, before alluded to, are an 
ignorant indolent race, settled in the northern coast of 
Honduras, who in like manner disclaim the authority of 
the Government, but are, in some sort, under the controul 
of the English, to whom they are much attached. There 
are seven Indian languages in Central America, each of 
which has two or three dialects. The jealousies among 
the castes are balanced by the aversion of the Indians to 
the ladinos, while the constitution holds out equal rights 
and privileges to all. They do not, however, profess any 
very great affection for the whites, for whom they rather 
entertain a traditionary or hereditary feeling of dislike or 
fear, owing doubtless to the servitude and oppression to 
which they were subjected by the early settlers of the 
country. 

The territory of Central America is capable of contain- 
ing an infinitely greater population than that specified in 
the preceding statement. A large portion of it is unsettled, 
and in a state of nature. There are vast tracts in the in- 
terior, enjoying a fine climate and a fertile soil, where the 
most flattering prospects are held out to foreign emigrants, 
and where agricultural industry could not fail of reaping 
an ample compensation. Conscious of this, and of the ad- 
vantages of recruiting its population from foreign coun- 
tries, the Government has adopted the policy of encour- 
aging emigration. But the attempts made towards 
effecting this object have been hitherto unsuccessful, ow- 
ing no doubt to the constantly disturbed state of the 
country and the insecurity of property. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 141 

The trade of Central America is carried on principally 
through the port of Izabal, where the goods are shipped 
to Balize, and thence conveyed in English vessels to 
Europe. Through the same channel are imported nearly 
all the foreign manufactures and other objects consumed 
in the country. The articles exported, besides those al- 
ready enumerated, are hides, tallow, and bullion. Of 
the latter, a considerable portion goes out through Jamai- 
ca. The imports consist of English dry goods, cutlery, 
hardware, and almost every species of European manu- 
facture ; the productions of native artificers being merely 
some cotton stuffs of the coarsest kind, serges, straw hats, 
and mats, crockery, and a few articles of jewelry, none of 
which, except the last mentioned, are exported. The ob- 
jects constituting the wealth of the country, are, as pre- 
viously stated, indigo and cochineal, which are produced 
in great quantities and of excellent quality, and are ex- 
changed for the manufactures of Europe. 

The form of government in Central America is a fede- 
ral republic, called the Confederation of Central America. 
This confederation comprises the five States of Costarica, 
Nicaragua, Honduras, St. Salvador, and Guatemala. 
The constitution, which is formed on the model of that of 
the United States, provides for a general Congress, in 
which the legislative power is vested, with local or state 
legislatures for the direction of internal concerns. The 
general Congress is composed of deputies elected in the 
proportion of one to every thirty thousand inhabitants, 
and half the members are re-elected every year. The 
Senate is a permanent chamber, and acts as a Council to 
the President ;. it consists of two members from every 
State ; and one third of the Senators are re-elected every 
year. The executive power is vested in the President, 
who is elected, like the Vice-President, for the term of four 
years. The Secretaries of State are three ; one for the 
foreign and home department, another for finance, and the 
third for war, and are appointed by the President. The 



142 NARRATIVE OF A 

supreme court of justice consists of six members, one third 
of whom are re-elected by the people every two years, 
The elections, however, are not made directly by the 
people, but by means of electoral colleges, as in France. 
The local or state governments consist of a Senate and 
House of Deputies, and an executive chief, who is Gov- 
ernor of the State, 

The national coat of arms is a range of five volcanoes, 
washed by two oceans, with g. rainbow above, and the 
cap of hberty beneath, surrounded by a glory. This is 
enclosed in a triangle encircled by the inscription, " Fed- 
eracion de Centro America." The flag consists of three 
horizontal stripes, (blue, white, blue,) with the arms in 
the centre, except in merchant vessels, where they are 
substituted by the words, Dios, Union, Libertad. With 
these words also despatches and official letters are con- 
cluded. 

The Independence of Central America was achieved 
on the first of July, 1823, when the preceding constitu- 
tion was adopted. For a short period this territory formed 
part of the Mexican republic, having been subjected by 
the troops of Mexico under General Filisola. This union, 
which had been effected contrary to the general will of 
the people, was dissolved in consequence of the revolt of 
the State of St. Salvador, followed by that of the other 
States ; and Guatemala once more asserted her indepen- 
dence. Shortly after, a conspiracy was formed by the 
officers of the army for overthrowing the Government, 
and a desperate struggle ensued between the rebel troops 
and the inhabitants of the capital. But the patriotism and 
courage of the latter finally prevailed, and tranquillity 
was restored to the republic. After an interval of a few 
years, however, public order was again disturbed, and the 
insurrection of the Indians, headed by Carrera and 
favoured by the enemies of the Government, kindled those 
flames of civil discord which are now consuming the 
country. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 143 

A variety of causes combined to produce this revolu- 
tionary movement, the principal of which are believed to 
be the encroachments of the Government on the rights 
and property of the church, the concession of abusive 
privileges, the malversation of the public revenue, the ex- 
tortions practised on the agricultural and labouring 
classes, and the political excesses of the two contending 
parties headed by Galvez and Barrundia. 

The occurrence of the cholera, and the establishment 
of sanitary cordons, with their attendant vexations, at a 
moment when the excitements of the mal-contents was 
highest, precipitated the catastrophe. The ignorant In- 
dians were made to believe by the enemies of public order, 
that the springs and sources of the: land had been poi- 
soned by the agents of the Government, or by the foreign- 
ers, and that the object in view was the extermination of 
their race.* At this critical juncture the standard of re- 
volt is raised by Carrera, who appears in the field with a 
handful of men as desperate as himself. 

This man, whose name is now in the" mouth of every 
one in Central America, and whose acts have been pro- 
ductive of so much trouble in that country, is a half- 
Indian, and was a soldier' in the Federal army, where he 
never rose higher than a corporal. On the disbanding of 
the troops, he was discharged ; and being left to his own 
resources, he was fain to procure a precarious subsistence 



* An English gentleman, having strolled into the country, was set 
upon while resting near the banks of a stream by some Indians of a neigh, 
bouring village, who, perceiving him to be a foreigner, tooi it for granted 
that he had been poisoning the water, and determined to put him to death. 
The Englishman expostulated, representing to them the folly of their sus- 
picions, and offering to drink of the water they supposed to be poisoned. 
This was agreed to by the Indians ; but not satisfied with a copious draught 
taken by their victim, they forced him to drink again and again, till they 
nearly killed him. Soon after, these Indians having been arrested in con- 
sequence, it was left to the English gentleman to designate the punishment 
that should be inflicted on them. It is pleasing to be able to say that htf 
generously pardorxed them. 



144 NARRATIVE OF A 

by dealing in hogs, which he bought in the country, and 
sold in the market of Guatemala. When the sanitary 
regulations were adopted, he was appointed to the charge 
of one of the stations, with the command of about a dozen 
men. With these few men, whom he seduced, and per- 
suaded to follow him in his hazardous enterprise, he ap- 
peared in open rebellion, proclaiming a new order of 
things, and calling upon the inhabitants of the Indian vil- 
lages he marched through to join his standard. This little 
force increased almost immediately to sixty men, and con- 
tinuing to augment, enabled Carrera to attack and destroy, 
on several occasions, the scattered troops of the Govern- 
ment, whose arms and accoutrements he distributed among 
his followers. The views which Carrera professed to en- 
tertain could not be more flattering to the prejudices, nor 
better calculated to dazzle the minds, of the infatuated In- 
dians- These views he declared to be, the reinstatement 
of the Archbishop, who had been expelled from Guatemala, 
the restitution of the Church property, the restoration of 
the Monkish orders, the revival of the old Spanish laws, 
the expulsion of foreigners, and the abolition of contri- 
butions. 

In the mean time, the inactivity of the Executive, and 
the want of system and concert on the part of the military 
commanders, permitted the insurrection to progress to 
such a degree, that when measures were at length adopted 
for suppressing it, the strength of the Government proved 
inadequate to the task. The factious Indians did not hesi- 
tate to meet the Federal troops in the field, and in some 
engagements with them, came off with complete success. 
They now attacked and entered considerable towns, levied 
contributions, and threatened the capital. In this state of 
things a resolution was adopted, which, so far from being 
attended with the favourable result expected, only served 
to expose the weakness of the Government, and to encou- 
rage the insurrection. It was resolved to send a deputa- 
tion to Carrera, to negotiate with him, and to induce him^ 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



145 



by the most flattering concessions, to sheathe his sword, 
and to disband his followers. 

This deputation was accordingly appointed, and sent in 
quest of Carrera, whom they found at a place called Mata- 
quescuintla. The conference took place in the open air, 
and a Doctor Castilla, an ecclesiastic, one of the deputies^ 
addressing the rebel chief, represented to him the enormity 
of the crime of rebellioUj the distress and ruin he was 
bringing upon his country, and the folly of believing in the 
iniquitous act ascribed to the Government, of having 
poisoned the waters ; and concluded by a hint, that his 
submission would not go unrequited. The reply of Car^ 
rera was, after disclaiming all views of private interest, 
that the spirit and practice of the Government was incom- 
patible with religion; that consequently, sudh a govern- 
ment could not be good ; and that he was only practising 
a lesson they had taught him, namely, the right of insure 
rection. This reasoning was easily refuted by the eloquent 
Doctor, who, occasionally, also addressed the rebel soldiers 
v/ho surrounded him. Carrera now began to evince strong 
symptoms of impatience and uneasiness. He saw that his 
aro-uments were all demolished, that his men were listen^ 
ing to the speaker with attention and complacence^ and 
that there was a possibility of their turning against him 
and deserting him. He suddenly imposed silence On the. 
Doctor, and, in order to inflame the minds of his people, 
had recourse to a falsehood, asserting in the most vehe- 
ment manner, that he himself had been offered by the Ad- 
ministration twenty dollars for every Indian he should 
poison. Thereupon, the deputies, seeing not only the in- 
utility, but the danger of pursuing their object any further, 
gave up the discussion, and withdrew. 

A few days after, Carrera, with three or four thousand 
Indians at his back, appeared before Guatemala, and as no 
effectual resistance could be apposed to him, he entered, 
and took possession of the city. The alarm and con- 
fusion of the inhabitants may easily be imagined. The 
19 



146 NARRATIVE OF A 

scenes that followed were such as were to be expected in a 
city abandoned to the rapacity and cruelty of a barbarous 
horde. Houses were broke open and plundered ; the 
worst of outrages were committed on private families ; a 
number of persons were shot down in the streets, and the 
Vice-President, Salaza, was killed in his own house.* It 
is due to Carrera to say that these excesses were not com- 
mitted by his directions, and that perhaps it was not in his 
power to prevent them. As soon as an opportunity was 
afforded, some of the authorities came to a parley with 
Carrera, and prayed him to state the terms on which he 
would consent to evacuate the city. The demands of the 
rebel chief were, all the money and all the arms that the 
Government could command. He was, however, at 
length satisfied with eleven thousand dollars, a certain 
number of muskets, and — strange as it must seem — the 
rank of Lieutenant-General, which was offered to, and 
accepted by, him. The latter concession seems to have 
been the most gratifying to this modern Massaniello, who, 
in his impatience to display his newly acquired honors, 
appropriated to himself, and put on, a uniform belonging 
to a General Prem. In compliance with the agreement 
made, he now collected his forces, and with a good sum of 
money, and his men well armed, withdrew from the city. 

But from that day the star of Carrera ceased to shine 
with its usual brightness. Having attacked the town of 
Amatitan with a body of four hundred men, he was re- 

» I will take the liberty of adverting- here to the meritorious conduct 
of our late Consul in Guatemala, Charles Savage, Esq., on the occasion 
of the capture of that city by the insurgents. The foreign residents there, 
it seems, applied to him for protection against the outrages they had rea- 
son to apprehend. This appeal, though Mr. Savage could scarcely be sup- 
posed to possess the means of affording the protection desired, was effectu- 
ally responded to ; as, accordiag to the statement of the foreigners them- 
selves, Mr. Savage, by his activity and firmness, and by exposure to per- 
sonal danger, actually succeeded in saving the property, and perhaps the 
lives, of some of the residents alluded to. A letter of thanks, signed by 
twelve persons, was, in consequence, addressed to him. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 147 

pulsed with much loss by a company of sixty Federal sol- 
diers. He was equally unsuccessful in another attack 
upon another town, called Salamd, where he lost several 
men, and was obliged to retreat in disorder. As the sea- 
son advanced, he saw his ranks becoming daily more tliin 
by the desertion of his followers, who left him in order to 
attend to the collection of their little corn crops, on which 
the subsistence of their families depended. In this state 
of things, a conspiracy was formed against him by one of 
. his associates, called Monreal. This man, and a few 
others who had joined in the enterprise, suddenly fell 
upon Carrera at a moment when he was alone, secured his 
person, conducted him to a solitary place, and having tied 
him to a tree, were on the point of shooting him, when 
the timely arrival of Laureano, Carrera's brother, saved the 
victim from the doom that threatened him. The tables 
were now turned upon Monreal, who, before he could ef- 
fect his escape, was seized, and shot at the foot of the same 
tree to which he had tied his chief. 

In the mean time, General Morazan, the President, had 
taken the command of the army in person, and having or- 
ganized and increased it, made so skilful a disposition of 
his troops, that whichever way the insurgents turned, they 
were met by an opposing force. Carrera now was fain to 
betake himself to the mountains, from which he descended 
occasionally, to scour the country and procure the means 
of subsistence. In these excursions his force was divided 
into small parties of from twenty to fifty men. His prac- 
tice was to abstain from touching the persons or properties 
of the Indians, or of the poorer class of the whites, and to 
respect the curates. But the haciendas of the rich were 
attacked and plundered, the wealthy in small defenceless 
towns were subjected to heavy contributions, foreigners 
falling into their hands were cut off without mercy, and 
the unwary traveller was stopped on the road and stripped 
of every thing. 

Such was still the posture of affairs at the time of my 



148 NARRATIVE OF A 

departure from the country. It is probable, however, that 
while this is being written, the active measures of General 
Morazan for putting down the insurrection have been suc- 
cessful, and that the career of the rebel hero has been 
brought to a close. 

The distracted state of Central America, at the period of 
my visit there, was not owing merely to the revolt of Car- 
rera, but to other causes — rto the jealousies existing among 
the different States, and the dissensions of the political par- 
ties of the country, some of whom were for '^ centralizing " 
the Government and abolishing the State legislatures, and 
others for maintaining the existing constitution. The 
credit and resources of the Republic were nearly ex- 
hausted. The administration of justice was suspended ; 
for as the old judicial system had been abolished without 
the substitution of a new one, the courts were left without 
any rule to guide them in their decisions.* In criminal 
cases, sentence was pronounced by a military commission. 
One or two of the States had separated from the Union ; 
the Government had virtually ceased, or existed only in 
the person of General Morazan ; confusion prevailed in 
every department ; and a total dissolution of the political 
fabric seemed to be inevitable.t The last act of the Con- 
gress, before I left, was one for calling a general conven- 
tion, or constituent assembly, to take into consideration the 
condition of the country, and decide on the measures to be 
adopted for saving it from ruin. 

The force composing what is called the Federal army, 

* l\Jr, Livingston's criminal code and the system of trial by jury, had 
been adopted by the Legislature, but proving incompatible with the habits 
and prejudices of the people, were suspended and finally abandoned. 

t The following extract from one of the public papers of Guatemala may 
be regarded as a pretty correct description of the state of affairs at that 
period : " Entre nosotros la Rcpublica esta disuelta de hecho y de derecho ; 
el Senado no exiete ; algun Estado esta separado de la Union ; las Ren- 
tas estan aniquiladas, paralizadas las fuentes de la riqueza publica, devasta- 
do3 los Estados, perdido el prestigio del Gobierno en el interior, sin credito 
njvcional, relaciones, ni respetabilidad en el esterior." 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 149 

was three thousand .men. There was no navy. Of the 
revenue collected, no regular returns were made, owing to 
the troubled state of the country and the difficulty of the 
communications. The amount, however, may be esti- 
mated at two millions of dollars ; but of this sum scarcely 
two-thirds are received into the Treasury, such is the 
mismanagement or corruption prevailing in the fiscal de- 
partments of the Government. 

The Church, in the State of Guatemala, is supported by 
the proceeds of a tax of half a dollar on every hundred 
acres. In the other States, it is supported by the payment 
of tithes. The curacies are badly provided. In many 
small villages, divine service is never performed, and the 
inhabitants are obliged to go several miles to hear mass. 
The curates, sometimes, have to travel fifteen or twenty 
miles to confess and assist the dying. 

The amount of the public debt did not exceed £241,684 
sterling, but, no doubt, has been latterly much aug- 
mented. 

The principal men of the country are the following : — 

General Morazan, the President ; 

Yigil, the Vice-President ; 

Ibana, acting Vice-President ; 

Galvez, late Governor of the State of Guatemala ; 

Barrundia, a Deputy ; 

Valenzuela, now Governor of Guatemala ; 

Alvarez, Secretary of State and of War ; 

Aycinena, a Senator ; 

Zebadua, ex-Secretary of State ; 

Rodriguez, a Senator ; 

Porras, } r, +• 

. ' } Deputies; 
Molma, ) 

And Dr. Castillo, an ecclesiastical dignitary. 

The distances from Guatemala to the principal ports or 

towns of the Republic, are the following : — 

To St. Salvador, 90 leagues. 

" Comayagua, the capital of Honduras 161 " 



150 NARRATIVE OF A 

To Leon, id. of Nicaragua, . . . » .215 leagues. 

" Cartago, id. of Costarica 397 

" Izabal, 80 

" Truxillo, 242 

" Iztapa, ) ^^ jj^g p^^.^^ ^ ^ 5 31 

« Realejo, ) ' n95 

" St. Juan, in Nicaragua, near to where 

it was proposed to open the canal, . 245 " 

A league is 21,000 Spanish feet, or about three English 
miles. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 151 



CHAPTER XIX. 

City of Guatemala. — The Plaza. — Public Buildings. — The Hermitage. 
— Account of the Old City. — Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions. 
— Cosiguina. — Character and Customs of the Natives. — Peculiarities of 
Language. — Procession of Corpus Christi. 

The cities of Central America are twenty-nine in num- 
ber ; but those entitled to any notice, are only the follow- 
ing : Guatemala, in the State of that name, with a popula- 
tion of about twenty-five thousand souls, Antigua, or old 
Guatemala, and Chiquimula ; St. Salvador, in the State so 
called, which is now the Federal district, comprising a cir- 
cle around the city twenty miles in diameter, and the resi- 
dence of the Government ; Santana and Sonsonate, in the 
same State ; St. Jose, in Costarica ; Leon and Granada, in 
Nicaragua ; and Comayagua and Truxillo, in Honduras. 

The city of Guatemala stands in the middle of a large 
and beautiful plain, surrounded by mountains. In the 
suburbs and environs there are numerous groves and gar- 
dens. The streets cross each other at risfht angles, and. 
being rectilinear, present at each extremity a charming 
prospect of the adjacent country. The houses consist of 
only one story, which rarely exceeds twenty feet in height^ 
in order to their more easily resisting the shock of an 
earthquake.* They are all provided with inner courts 
and corridors. In the centre of these courts there is sen- 
erally a fountain or some ornamental trees, or both; 

* Although the houses in Guatemala are of a construction enabling 
them to resist an ordinary earthquake, the possibility of a shock so vio- 
lent as to make it dangerous to remain within doors has not been over- 
looked. Thus, in some of the houses, may be seen standing in the cen- 
tre of the court, a pavilion, as a place of refuge in the contingency just 
alluded to. 



152 NARRATIVE OF A 

and in many of the houses there are two courts and a gar- 
den. The space occupied by these liouses is certainly 
very great, in proportion to the accommodations they 
afford, but they are delightful dwellings, and have a light, 
cheerful appearance, with this convenience, that every 
room is on the same floor. The doors — strange as it may 
seem — are provided, in some cases, with two knockers, 
one considerably higher than the other : the under one, for 
persons on foot ; the upper^ for those who are on horse- 
back. The doors, however, are never shut, except in the 
night-time. 

The plaza, or great square in the centre of the city, is 
provided on three sides with a colonnade, which affords 
passengers a shelter from the sun and rain. On the other 
side stands the cathedral — a splendid edifice, in the best 
style of modern architecture. It has three entrances in 
front, with a flight of steps. The interior is divided into 
three aisles, formed by two rows of arches, supported by 
lofty massive pillars. In the centre of the plaza there is a 
fine fountain ; the area is used as a market-place. The 
best shops are situated in this part of the town, as also 
most of the public offices. 

, The public buildings of Guatemala deserving any no- 
tice are those of a religious character. The most conspic- 
uous, next to the cathedral, is the convent of St. Francis ; 
but this noble structure is now falling to ruins, having 
been much injured by an earthquake ; all the church or- 
naments and pictures have been removed, and the place is 
now shut up and untenanted. The convent of la Re- 
coleccion, where, since the extinction of the Monkish or- 
ders, a high school is kept, is another magnificent pile. It 
contains, among other works of art, a fine painting of Laz- 
arus rising from the grave. The churches of St. Domi- 
nic, Santa Teresa, and la Merced, are also structures of 
great beauty and merit, and among the chief architectural 
ornaments of the city. 

There is a chapel, or hermitage, called la Hermita, 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



153 



which is remarkable only for its antiquity, and for its 
charming and romantic site. It was erected there long 
before the capital was transferred to its present situation, 
and at a time when the space occupied by the city of 
Guatemala was a verdant waste. Tliis chapel is in the 
suburbs, on a little hill, the sides and foot of which are 
covered with shrubs and wild flowers. It commands a 
wide and charming view of the city and country,, and is a 
favourite place of resort in the afternoons. 

There is a university in Guatemala, but the students 
are very few. It contains a library, which I visited. 
The books are principally old Spanish chronicles ; Herre- 
ra's general history of America, and that of Torquemada, 
some of the ancient classics, among which was an Italian 
version of Virgil by Antonio Ambrogi — a fine edition, — 
some of the Spanish classics, two or three encyclopedias, 
and some dictionaries and vocabularies of Indian lan- 
guages. There is also a mint ; but the machinery necessa- 
ry for coining being incomplete, it is not now in operation. 
Tire printing offices, I think, are only two. The nev/spa- 
pers are also two. There is no theatre, no reading-room, 
nor any hotel or coffee-house in the place. 

Guatemala was originally built near the sea, twenty- 
five miles to the south of its present situation. The old 
city, called Antigua, is still populous, and contains ten or 
twelve thousand inhabitants. It is situated on the de- 
clivity of a mountain, the summit of which is crowned 
by the grand volcano. It was overwhelmed by an earth- 
quake in 1751, but was rebuilt- a few years after. In 
1773 it was again destroyed by another earthquake, and 
several shocks were experienced, at intervals, from that 
period to 1775, when it was determined by the Govern- 
ment to remove the city to a more eligible site. The 
situation selected was that where new Guatemala now 
stands. The capital was, accordingly, transferred, and 
orders were issued for the removal of the population. 
20 



154 NARRATIVE OP A 

But these orders were obeyed with so much reluctance, 
that coercive measures had to be adopted for enforcing 
them. The evil, however, was only partially remedied, 
for the present capital has also experienced several shocks. 
Indeed, almost the whole country is subject to earth- 
quakes. A slight shock was felt at Sacapa while I was 
there. In 1822 a remarkable earthquake occurred near 
the volcano of Chirripo. The shocks commenced by an 
undulating motion from east to west, and then the motion 
was vertical and more violent. Many buildings in the 
town of St. Jose were cracked, and the portico of the 
church, and one of its towers, were thrown down. In 
the adjacent country, crevices of various dimensions ap- 
peared in the ground, from the bottom of which salt 
water and sand were thrown up. The following year 
the town of Cartago was also afflicted by an earthquake, 
accompanied by a dreadful eruption of the volcano of 
Trasu. For some miles round, and for the space of three 
days, the country was covered by a dense cloud of smoke, 
and o-reat masses of fire were emitted, the appearance of 
which in the darkness of the night was terrific and 
appalling. 

But the latest and most noted eruption and earthquake 
was that of the volcano of Cosiguina, which occurred in 
1835. The following account of it is extracted from a 
report rendered by the commandant of La Union, a sea- 
port in the bay of Conchagua, on the Pacific, and the 
nearest place of any consequence to the volcano : 

"On the 20th instant, (January, 1835,) at 8 o'clock 
A. M., a dense cloud of a pyramidal figure was seen 
rising in the south-east, and a hollow rumbling noise was 
heard at the same time and in the same direction. This 
cloud continued to ascend till it covered the sun, when it 
separated to the North and South, accompanied with 
thunder and lightning. Finally, it spread over the whole 
firmament, and enveloped every thing in perfect dark- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 155 

ness; so that the nearest objects became invisible. At 
4 P. M. the earth began to quake, and an undulating 
motion was felt, which gradually increased as it con- 
tinued. This was followed by a shower of phosphoric 
sand, which lasted till 8 in the evening, when also a 
heavy fine powder began to fall. Thunder and lightning 
continued through the night. On the 21st, there was 
another earthquake, and so violent and long, that many 
people who were walking in a penitential procession 
were thrown to the ground. To the terror thus occa- 
sioned, was added the howling of beasts, mixed with the 
cries of women and children, and the appearance of floclcs 
of birds, and even of some wild animals, that came into 
the town, as if to seek an asylum among men. The 
darkness continued the whole of that day, and was so 
complete, as to make it necessary to use lanterns. It 
was partially dispelled on the following day, the 22d, 
although the sun was not yet visible. 

" On the morning of the 23d, a tremendous report was 
heard, succeeded by others equally loud and appalling, 
which could only be compared to violent thunder-claps, 
or to the firing of the heaviest artillery ; and this new 
occurrence was followed by increased showers of dust. 
From day-break of the 23d to 10 A. M. of said day, there 
was a partial return of light, and nothing could be more 
melancholy than the sight of the objects now discernible. 
The streets were covered with a coat of fine white dust, 
which, as it filled up the inequalities of the pavement, 
made them look perfectly smooth. People were so dis- 
figured by it, that they had an unnatural, ghost-like ap- 
pearance, and could not be recognised except by the 
sound of their voices. The trees and houses were also 
covered with it, and looked strange and disagreeable. 
Yet these unpleasant sights were infinitely preferable to 
the darkness in which we were again plunged after the 
said hour of 10, and which was as great as at any time 



156 NARRATIVE OF A 

during the two preceding days. The general distress, 
which had been somewhat assuaged, was thus renewed. 
The terror now was such, that more than half of the in- 
habitants determined to abandon the town ; and, notwith- 
standing the danger attending this step, owing to the 
wild beasts and tigers that had been frightened out of 
the forests, and sought the habitations of men, they went 
forth on foot to seek refuge in the mountains, firmly per- 
suaded that they should never return to their homes, for 
they expected nothing less than the total destruction of 
the town. 

"On the morning of the 24th, about 3 o'clock, the moon 
and a few stars were visible, as if through a curtain. The 
subsequent day was clear, although the sun could not be 
seen. The dust continued to fell, which was now five or 
six inches deep on the ground. The 25th and 26th were 
marked with frequent, though not so violent, earthquakes. 
Many of the people are affected with catarrhs, head-aches, 
or sore throats, proceeding, doubtless, from the dust. The 
cattle have also suffered considerably; and numbers of 
birds may be seen lying dead in the roads, or floating on 
the sea." 

In the month of February following, a Commission, 
appointed for the purpose, went to make observations on 
the volcano, but could not obtain a distinct view of the 
scene, owing to the dense smoke which still covered the 
plains. A forest, which appeared to be as old as the Cre- 
ation, was found to have disappeared. Two islands had 
been formed in the sea, one eight hundred yards long, the 
other two hundred, covered with mineral earth and pumice 
stones. Some shoals were also discovered, in one of which 
a large tree was fixed upside down. The river Chiquito 
was completely choked up, and another had been formed, 
running in an opposite direction. Within the limits of the 
eruption were found the remains of all kinds of quadru- 
peds and birds. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 157 

Accordins: to another statement, the Columbian galley 
Voladora, which left Acapulco on the 20th of Januaiy, for 
Realejo, experienced the darkness at twenty leagues from 
the shore, as well as such a copious shower of dust, that 
the crew were apprehensive of being suffocated, and were 
occupied during forty-eight hours in shovelling it from the 
vessel's deck. 

I have been assured by Colonel Galindo, of Guatemala, 
an intelligent man, and by other persons, that the noise of 
the eruption was heard as far as Oajaca, three hundred and 
fifty miles in a direct line from Cosiguina ; that at the port 
of Balize, in the bay of Honduras, the British authorities 
were doubtful whether the reports alluded to were the 
firing of a vessel in distress, or a naval action ; and that in 
the interior of said settlement, the inhabitants universally 
believed that an enemy's force was attacking the town. 
It also appears to be beyond doubt, that at Kingston, in 
Jamaica, more than eight hundred miles from the volcano, 
the noise was heard, and supposed, as at Balize, to be sig- 
nals from some vessel in distress, till the ashes that reached 
even there, showed it to be a volcanic eruption. It is even 
asserted the said sounds were heard in Santa Martha, in 
New Granada, and in Santa Fe de Bogota. 

Before concluding this chapter, a few remarks on the 
character and customs of the natives of Central America 
may not be uninteresting. It is only in the city of Guate- 
mala, and in one or two of the larger towns, that civiliza- 
tion and the arts have made any considerable progress. In 
the rest of the republic — in the country and in the villages 
— the simple and primitive mode of life of the inhabi- 
tants differs only in a slight degree from that of the abo- 
riginal Indians, whose condition and habits have been 
already noticed. The manners and dress of the citizens of 
Guatemala are essentially the same as those of the corres- 
ponding classes in the mother country. The ladies, as in 
Spain, wear the mantilla and veil when they go to church, 



158 NARRATIVE OF A 

and appear without any covering on their heads when 
walking out or on a visit. They are fond of adorning 
their hair with flowers, and with high tortoise-shell combs, 
some of which are very costly and beautifully wrought. 
Caps are never worn; nay, they are so much disliked, 
that even the elderly ladies prefer an exposure of their 
grey locks to wearing them. If they go out in the evening, 
the head is protected by a shawl or handkerchief; when 
travelling, or on horseback, they wear a hat surmounted by 
a profusion of feathers. The pride and luxury of a Gua- 
temala lady is a richly embroidered veil, a costly fan, and 
a valuable set of jewels. Their passion for the latter is 
remarkable, as also for finery of every kind. They are 
generally well formed and graceful, and very proud of a 
pretty foot. A compliment to this part of a lady's person 
is the surest mode of winning her smiles. 

On the part of the man, their taste for dress is chiefly ex- 
hibited when they are equipt for travelling. At such times, 
their swords, their spurs of massive silver, their poniards 
with sheaths of the same metal, the trappings of their 
horses elaborately embroidered with silk, and their other 
ornaments, imply an expense of not less than a thousand 
dollars. 

Of both sexes it may be said with justice, that they are 
amiable, courteous, and attentive to strangers. They are 
of mild disposition, and have good natural talents, an apti- 
tude for learning, and a lively imagination. Yet in edu- 
cation they are exceedingly deficient. Indeed, the means 
of acquiring it are scarcely within their reach, there being 
in the city but one establishment for the instruction of 
youth, besides the University. Thus, learning and litera- 
ture with them are at the lowest ebb. Hospitality is one 
of their virtues, gambling one of their faults. They are 
also somewhat addicted to cock-fighting and bull feasts. 
They have a peculiar, but not a disagreeable, mode of 
speaking, and soft mellifluous voices, with a whining ac- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 159 

cent not unlike that of the natives of Andalusia in Spain. 
In common conversation, they use a number of words that 
are foreign to the Castilian language, and are mostly de- 
rived from the Indian. Thus they use the word : — 

Mecate, for soga, a rope ; 

Chilillo, " latigo, a whip ; 

Galapo, " silla de montar, a saddle ; 

Caycos, " alpargattas, sandals ; 

Milpa, " plaiitio de inaiz^ a corn-field ; 
and a number of other words which have escaped my 
memory. Once, on asking for a wash-bason, I used the 
four names given to that article in Spanish without being 
understood, but on saying ponchera, a word suggested to 
me by a native, my wants were attended to. Another of 
their peculiarities in language, is that they often speak in 
the third person plural, and use the pronoun vos instead of 
usted, as qiie decis vos 7 (what do you say?) for que dice 
usted7 This is the old Castilian mode of speaking, 
v/hich has long since been abandoned in Spain, though it 
is infinitely preferable to the present mode, as being much 
more graceful. Their pronunciation of the c and z is also 
different from that of the Spaniards of Europe. These 
letters, the sound of which ought to be nearly like th, they 
pronounce like s, and consequently make no difference, in 
the pronunciation of casa, a house, and caza, the chase. 

Their amusements consist chiefly in dancing and riding 
on horseback, of both which they are very fond. For 
walking, there are many pleasant places in the suburbs 
and environs of the city, especially a little Indian village, 
called Jocotenango, which is ingrafted, as it were, on the 
city, and forms a curious contrast with it. There are no 
carriages of any kind in Guatemala. The only vehicles 
I saw there, were two coaches that were not in use, either 
of which had wood enough in it to make three modern 
carriages, and was heavy enough to require six stout 
mules to draw it. Almost every house is open to visitors. 



160 NARRATIVE OP A 

In many of them a small party meet every evening, regu- 
larly and without ceremony, and pass the time in social 
intercourse. Formal parties are not frequent. Yet I was 
at one, where all the refinements of polished life seemed 
to be perfectly understood, and where I was agreeably sur- 
prised by the display of a tea-table, with all its accessories 
in the best taste. When a stranger is once told that " the 
house is at his disposal," he may consider himself an 
habitue, and admitted to the freedom of the house. 

They have a great partiality for religious ceremonies 
and processions. That of Corpus Christi, which I wit- 
nessed during my stay there, is the grandest and the most 
admired. The procession was headed by a body of caval- 
ry, composed of citizens, who were well mounted and 
dressed. Then came a number of other citizens on foot, 
with lighted tapers in their hands. These were followed 
by the authorities and the clergy ; and then came the pre- 
late, who represented the bishop, arrayed in his pontifical 
robes, and carrying the chalice containing the host. He 
walked under a canopy of silk, embroidered and fringed 
with gold, which was supported by four men of rank, 
arrayed in full uniform. The ground before him was 
strewed with leaves and flowers. Every head was un- 
covered, and every knee bent, as he passed ; but this was 
in devotion to the host which he bore in the chalice. 
The prelate was followed by a coach and six horses. 
This was an old-fashioned state carriage, of richly carved 
wood, and gilt, with high massive wheels, heavy leather 
springs, and glass windows on each side and in front. 
The horses were gorgeously, though clumsily, capari- 
soned. Three of them were mounted by youths as pos- 
tilions, and each horse was attended by a groom on foot. 
A guard of infantry and a military band brought up the 
rear ; and then came the rabble — men, women, and chil- 
dren, of all colours. The streets along which the proces- 
sion passed were covered with awnings ; the houses were 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 161 

adorned with hangings of silk or velvet of various co- 
lours, and the windows crowded with spectators. Four 
altars were erected at intervals, which were illuminated 
with wax candles, and glittered with mirrors, artificial 
flowers, and a variety of ornaments of gold, and silver, 
and cut glass. It was altogether a most picturesque and 
interestmg scene, in which the blending of religious and 
military pomp, the diversity of costumes, and the variety 
of novel objects that met the eye, could not fail of exciting 
the curiosity, and arresting the attention, of a spectator. 



21 



162 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XX. 

General Morazan. — Preparations for Returning. — A New Travelling- 
Companion, — Departure from Guatemala. — View of the City from i 
DistanGe.--iUiiexpected Luxuries.— The Commander of the Escort. 

Soon after my arrival at Guatemala, I went with the 
Charge d' Affaires of the United States to pay a visit to 
General Morazan, the President, who was not then in the 
city, but at his head-quarters at Villanueva, a little town 
about ten miles distant. On arriving there, we rode up 
to a house where a military guard was stationed, and 
which proved to be the dwelling of the General. There 
was a spacious yard in front, and a sentinel at the gate. 
We were admitted without difficulty, andy on inquiring 
for the President, were shown into a hall by one of the 
adjutants, who desired us to wait there till he announced 
our visit. This hall, the door of which was also guarded 
by a sentinel, had all the appearance of a guard-house. 
There was no other furniture in it but a large loiig table 
and a couple of wooden benches. It was full of officers 
of different ranks, who were there on duty, or waiting for 
orders. Their ranks Could be distinguished by their 
epaulettes ; but in their dress there was a total absence of 
uniformity; some wearing cocked hats with feathers, 
others round hats with a broad gold band round the 
crowns, some in blue regimentals, some in red, and many 
with no other uniform than a jacket with military but- 
tons. In one thing only was there any appearance of 
regularity — in the long unwieldy swords and ponderous 
spurs with which they were all provided. In the yard 
were several horses, saddled and ready for service, and a 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 163 

number of soldiers, some loitering about, some furbish- 
ing their arms, and others gambling. 

It was not long before we were admitted into the pre- 
sence of the General, who received us with great courtesy. 
He was dressed in plain clothes, and seemed to be about 
forty years of age, small of stature, and rather of a dark 
complexion. In his manner and conversation there was 
some appearance of constraint or reserve ; yet he had a 
fine expression of countenance, and eyes beaming with 
intelligence. On taking: leave of him. he told me that 
the military commandant at Guatemala would be direct- 
ed to furnish me, on my departure, another escort to ac- 
company me in my return to the coast. 

His own talents, together with a combination of fortu- 
nate circumstances, have raised General Morazan to the 
distinguished station he now occupies. In early life, he 
was a clerk in a merchant's store. Subsequently he en- 
tered the army, and soon after acquired some property 
by a matrimonial alliance. He was rapidly promoted, and 
thus placed in circumstances which enabled him to take 
an active part in politics. Having joined what was then 
called the popular party, the activity he displayed, and 
the influence he exercised, very soon caused him to be 
regarded as the leader of it. His talents, both as a soldier 
and a politician, soon gained for his party the ascendant ; 
and from one success to another, he finally arrived at 
the Presidency. On reaching this point, he divested 
himself of all party feelings and political predilections. 
He also did not hesitate to make a temporary resignation 
of his civil authority, in order to direct in person the 
operations of the army. This policy, so far from dimin- 
ishing, has rather increased his power and credit : for he 
is now sought and courted by men of all opinions. He is 
regarded by them as their anchor of hope, or as the pilot 
who is to guide the ship of state in safety through the 
storms that assail it. 

The 2d of July was the day fixed for my departure. 



164 NARRATIVE OF A 

The escort promised me was furnished, and the officer 
commanding it made his appearance with his men at the 
appointed time. They were all foot soldiers, and twenty- 
live in number. I had declined the offer of some cavalry, 
having found them by experience more troublesome than 
useful. A young gentleman of Guatemala, a brother of 
the Marquis of A * * * — the only titled family in the 
country — having occasion to make a journey to the coast, 
had expressed his desire of accompanying me ; and this 
being agreed to and settled, I called for him at an early 
hour on the day of departure. I found him busy in 
making his preparations ; some of his servants saddling 
mules and loading baggage, and others setting out a table 
for breakfast. Several of his friends had come to accom- 
pany him for a few miles, whose horses were pawing up 
the ground and champing their bits in the court-yard. 
It was some time before we were ready to start. At 
length we mounted. Don Ignacio — for such was the 
baptismal name of my new travelling companion — be- 
strode a superb mule, full fifteen hands high, and in the 
style and fashion of his equipments exhibited a perfect 
model of a Central American dandy, when he is about to 
undertake a journey. He was armed from head to foot : 
his armas de agua, his rodilleras, and his cloak, were all 
in the best taste and of the best materials. He was at- 
tended by a servant well mounted, and by a muleteer 
on foot, and had altogether five mules ; two for himself 
and servant, one to carry his baggage, another for his 
bedding and provisions, and a third as a sumpter mule. 

We sallied forth to the number of ten or twelve per- 
sons, and attracted no little notice as we clattered over 
the pavement. The cavalcade proceeded at such a brisk 
pace, that I had some difficulty in keeping up with it ; 
and as the mule I had under me was evidently unaccus- 
tomed to such rapid movements, and unwilling to adopt 
new habits, my spurs were in constant requisition. At 
length, after a ride of three or four miles, we overtook the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 165 

escort and the baggage mules, which had been sent on be- 
fore, and the friends of Don Ignacio took their leave. 
Half an hour at least was consumed in the performance of 
this ceremony. There was such a shaking of hands, such 
a repetition of the words adios and huen viaje, and such 
interest expressed about the safety and welfare of my new 
friend, that one would have thought he was going to the 
end of the world, and might never be seen again. I was 
a mere spectator in the scene, being completely eclipsed 
by Don Ignacio, whose friends barely bestowed on me a 
farewell nod, as they turned their horses and galloped 
back to the city. 

We now proceeded at a more gentle pace. The route 
we pursued was not the one usually taken by travellers 
going to Izabal, nor that by which I had arrived at Guate- 
mala. It was a road leading through another part of the 
country, and which had been recommended to me as 
being somewhat shorter, and as affording me an opportu- 
nity of performing the latter part of my journey by water. 
It was also considered by Don Ignacio as the preferable 
route. The only objection to it was that the country, in 
that direction, was but thinly settled, and there were fewer 
villages. This difficulty I submitted to the consideration 
of my companion before startuig, but his reply was, " No 
importa, there is no want of haciendas on the way." But 
are you, I rejoined, acquainted with the proprietors of 
them? " No importa," said he again, "we shall be well re- 
ceived ;" and it was definitively settled that we should 
proceed by the route alluded to. 

We soon left behind us the plains of Guatemala, and 
came to a hilly broken country, where we continued to 
ascend and descend till we came to the river Chinauta. 
After following the course of this river for some time, and 
crossing it in several places, we commenced ascending a 
series of heights, the last of which fully compensated the 
fatigue we had undergone in reaching it, by the charm- 
ing prospect it afforded. An extensive tract was spread 



166 NARRATIVE OF A 

before us of hill and valley, of plain and woodland, 
where a village church might be distinguished, at inter- 
vals, towering over a cluster of huts, or a hacienda em- 
bosomed in a grove of palm trees, or a stream meandering 
through a meadow, and glistening beneath the sun-ray. 
Behind us, the city of Guatemala was distinctly visible, 
with its surrounding groves and gardens, and its lofty 
public buildings. In front, the prospect terminated in a 
range of distant mountains, rising over each other till 
they were scarcely visible in the horizon. Descending 
these heights, we passed through a little village, without 
stopping, and in about two hours after came to an estate 
called el Carrizal, where we halted for the night. We 
had travelled six leagues ; a distance that was considered 
sufficient for the first day, especially as there was no cer- 
tainty of finding a better resting-place beyond, or a shel- 
ter from the rain, in case of our being overtaken by a 
shower. 

The house was taken possession of in the same uncere- 
monious way that I had observed on other occasions ; and 
sentinels were stationed in military style. The servant of 
Don Ignacio, and a soldier whom I had been permitted to se- 
lect from the escort, as an asisfenfe, or attendant, made our 
arrangements for the night. My hard and homely bed was 
soon prepared for me ; but the couch of Don Ignacio was 
a different affair. He had brought with him a neat little 
field-bed, which could be put together or taken to pieces 
in a few minutes. It was curiously complete and elegant 
in its furniture and appurtenances, and was provided with 
a mosquito net of the finest texture. Nor was this the 
only cause of wonderment afforded me by my luxurious 
fellow-traveller. He had also brought with him a sort of 
portable cupboard, consisting of two good sized leather 
boxes, connected by straps, so as to hang one on each side 
of the mule. This article, called in Spanish almofreceSj 
was well stored, not only with a variety of provisions, but 
with glasses, knives and forks, plates, and even a frying- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 167 

pan and a gridiron ! With such conveniences at our com- 
mand, there was a prospect before us of a pleasant journey, 
and of an exemption from the privations to which travel- 
lers are usually subjected in that wild and unsettled 
country. 

In our evening- raeal, we were accompanied by our host, 
the proprietor of the estate, and by the officer commanding 
the escort. The latter was quite a young man, very un- 
like a Spanish American, having blue eyes, light hair, and 
a fair complexion. His rank was that of brevet captain. 
He had fought in the battle of Amatitan, and been pro- 
moted in consequence. He was poorly attired, and still 
worse mounted, and was without a sword— the last thino- 
that an officer should part with. There was a rakish 
reckless air about him, which, tciken in coimexion mth his 
want of a sword, led us to suspect that he was somewhat 
of a gambler ; but there was also a refinement in his man- 
ner and conversation, that threw a gloss over his faults 

whatever they might be — and induced one to look upon 
them with indulgence. 



168 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XXI. 

" Rio Grande." — Novel Contrivance for passing a River. — A Military 
Card Party. — The Warm Springs. — Valley of Salama. — Detention at a 
River. — Arrival at Balama. — Don Basilio. — A Sketch of the Town. — 
Carrera's Attack on it. — St. Geronimo. — Remarks on Central America. 

Early the next morning we resumed our march ; but 
had not gone far, when our progress, in a direct Une, was 
impeded by a deep trench, or ditch, which compelled us to 
make a circuit of more than a league before we could re- 
gain the road. We now proceeded through a wild and 
mountainous country, traversing woods, and crossing 
streams and ravines, without seeing a house, a village, 
or even a human being. At one o'clock, we came to a 
large river called Rio Grande. The banks were high and 
precipitous, the stream rapid, and apparently very deep, and 
I was considering how this river was to be passed — there 
being no bridge — when my attention was attracted by two 
stout cables stretched from bank to bank, about twenty 
feet above the water. This, I was told, was the bridge by 
which we were to pass. These cables lay parallel to each 
other, and about fifteen inches apart. Between them, and 
supported by them, was a double block of a corresponding 
width, from which was suspended a strong leather strap, 
like a sling. To this strap, or sling, we had to trust our 
lives. We took our seats in it successively, and on a sig- 
nal being given, a line attached to the block was hauled 
upon from the opposite side of the river, when the block, 
with its burden, glided over the cables, till it reached the 
landing-place on that side. The soldiers indulged in many 
a jest, and fired oiF their jokes upon each other as they 
were hauled over the river. To me, the apparatus ap- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 169 

peared a most rude and dangerous contrivance ; and I could 
not but feel some uneasiness when I found myself suspend- 
ed in the air by a mere strap, with a rushing stream be- 
neath me, where, should I fall, I might either be drowned,'or 
dashed to pieces among rocks. The baggage, saddles, and 
other articles, were sent over in the same way. The mules 
were driven into the stream, and made to swim across ; 
but for this purpose they were led to a place considerably 
above the point where they were to come out on the other 
side ; the stream being so strong, that they could not pos- 
sibly have crossed it in a direct line. The shouts of the 
muleteers, as they forced the mules into the river, and of 
the men stationed on the other side to prevent their passing 
the landing-place, made the adjacent woods ring again ; 
the poor animals, in the mean time, snorting and splashing, 
as they struggled through the water. One of the mules 
was near being lost, and two were severely hurt : the rest 
succeeded in passing without accident. 

Two hours were consumed in this tedious and perilous 
operation ; and as two more would have been necessary 
to put things in a condition for continuing our journey, 
it was determined to suspend our march till the following 
day. 

We now began to consider how, and where, we were to 
pass the night. We could see notliing but a miserable 
hut, inhabited by the man charged with the care of the 
ferry. This man, however, undertook to provide us a 
shelter, and conducted us to a small ruinous house, which 
was public property, situated on the banks of the river, 
about a hundred yards below the landing-place. There 
we found a single room, formed by the four walls, a table, 
and two or three chairs ; and there we took up our quar- 
ters, leaving the escort and the arrieros to provide for them- 
selves as well as they could. 

The reckless and improvident spirit exhibited by the 
former was remarkable. They had received their rations 
in money; but instead of procuring themselves food 
22 



170 NARRATIVE OF A 

therewith, which they might have done by applying at 
the ferryman's hut, they sat down, with a pack of cards, 
to win each other's money. They had ht a fire, not to 
warm them, but to afford them hght, (for now the sun 
had set, and darkness was coming on apace,) and had 
spread a blanket, round which they sat, or crouched, 
watching with intense interest the turning of a card. 
The lurid glare of the fire, as it fell on them, brought out 
in full relief their strongly marked and manly features. 
They looked like so many banditti making a division of 
booty. 

Behind them stood the officer, wistfully looking on, and 
regretting, perhaps, his inability to join the party without 
derogating from his rank. Meanwhile, these men, who, 
after a fatiguing march, might be supposed to entertain 
no other wish than that of some food and rest, were so 
absorbed by their passion for play as to neglect the wants 
of nature. Some of them lay down that night without a 
supper, and others, perhaps, rose the next morning to 
resume their march without a breakfast. 

Leaving the banks of the Rio Grande, we penetrated 
into a wilderness of woods and mountains, where nature 
was exhibited in her wildest and most primitive forms, 
and where the silence and solitude of the scenes were 
seldom disturbed by the presence of man. As we pro- 
ceeded, we came to a hollow, surrounded by rocks and 
thickets. This place is called aguas calientes, on ac- 
count of hot springs that gush out from the earth or 
from crevices in the rocks. The ground in the imme- 
diate vicinity of these springs was moist, and covered 
with steam, and so warm, that the mules, when they 
came to the spot, started and turned away. The warm 
water, as it streamed from the springs, collected, here 
and there, in Httle pools or basins, formed delightful 
natural baths of different temperatures, according to their 
distance from the springs. In one place the water was 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



171 



so warm, that I could bear my hand in it only a few 
seconds. 

After emerging from a dense wood, we came to an ab- 
rupt rugged mountain, without a tree, and composed of 
tale. The ascent, in some parts, was so steep, that our 
steeds could hardly keep their footing, and were in dan- 
ger of rolling down. One of them, from fear or fatigue, 
made a full stop, and refused to move another step, not- 
withstanding the blows and abuse lavished on it by the 
arrieros. This difficulty was got over by unloading the 
mule, and carrying its burden by hand to the summit, in 
doing which the arrieros were assisted by the soldiers. 

In our descent on the other side, we had a distant view 
of the valley of Salama. It was a vast and highly culti- 
vated tract, in the centre of which the town of Salama 
could just be distinguished, with a number of haciendas and 
farm-houses round it, and a river (the name of which I 
have forgotten) flowing through the whole extent of the 
valley. About 12 o'clock we came to an estate, called los 
Llanos, where we took a short repast, and started again, 
without loss of time, in the hope of reaching the town of 
Salama before night. As we entered the valley, how- 
ever, we encountered a heavy shower. Our cloaks and 
chamarras were of little service, for the rain poured down 
so fast and abundantly, that in a few minutes it penetra- 
ted to the skin. This would have been a trifling hard- 
ship in a more northern latitude ; but in the warm cli- 
mates, under the tropics, where the pores are almost al- 
ways kept open by a slight perspiration, it was a serious 
inconvenience, as a thorough wetting is generally fol- 
lowed by a fever. The best mode of preventing this 
eflect, is to change clothes as soon as possible ; but this 
it was not in our power to do until after the lapse of 
several hours. 

Pursuing our route, we came to the river, which ran 
between us and the town ; and here an msuperable bar- 
rier was presented to our progress. The river, which in 



172 NARRATIVE OF A 

ordinary circumstances is easily forded, had swelled with 
the sudden rain, was thick with mud, and roared and 
rushed by impetuously, bearing along broken branches 
and trunks of trees. The boldest of the party was unwil- 
ling to attempt the ford. In this dilemma, and with the 
rain still pouring on us, we looked round anxiously for a 
shelter. Happily, a little hut was descried at no great 
distance, and we all hastened thither to take refuge under 
its roof There was only an old woman in the hut ; we 
entered it without asking leave, and huddled in, to the 
number of at least thirty persons in a space of not more 
than twelve feet square. The mules and baggage were 
left outside to bear the pelting of the storm. 

After stopping in the hut about two hours, one of the 
arrieros was sent to ascertain whether the river had sub- 
sided sufficiently to enable us to ford it. His report was 
favourable, and we sallied forth, mounted our steeds, and 
came a second time to the banks of the river. The stream 
was still copious and powerful ; and no one seemed wil- 
ling to be the first to encounter it. Our officer, at length 
pushed into the water, and succeeded, though not without 
some difficulty and danger, in gaining the opposite bank. 
The rest of us, seeing that the sorry nag he mounted had 
struggled through successfully, did not hesitate to follow, 
and all of us passed without accident ; some of those on 
foot holding on by the tails of the mules. 

On arriving at Salama, we stopped before the house of a 
certain Don Basilio, for whom we had brought a letter of 
introduction from Guatemala. This letter he was bound 
to consider in the light of a bill of exchange for food and 
lodging to be furnished at sight ; and drafts of this descrip- 
tion must not be dishonoured. Don Basilio received us 
with much cordiality ; but there was an appearance of em- 
barrassment in his manner, and ever and anon he cast an 
inquiring look at the numerous party which had collected 
before his door. At length a thought seemed to strike 
him, and he said, that if we preferred an entire house to 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



173 



ourselves, he could place one at our disposal that was un- 
occupied. " It is true," said he, " that the house is unfur- 
nished : but I will supply you with such things as may be 
indispensable to your accommodation for the night." The 
proposal was accepted and generally approved, to the visi- 
ble satisfaction of our host, who was thus rid of the trou- 
ble and confusion we were likely to cause him. 

The house assigned us was large and commodious, 
with a piazza in front, a court-yard, and a spacious stable. 
Don BasiUo sent us a table, three chairs, two mattresses, 
and a few other articles, with which we expressed our- 
selves quite satisfied, and assured him that, for the rest, we 
could take care of ourselves. The hall of the house was 
assigned to the soldiers, who, after partaking of a treat that 
we gave them in consideration of the fatigues of that day's 
march, stretched themselves on the bare tiles, and slept 
like children. Don Ignacio, the officer, and myself, estab- 
lished our quarters in another apartment, and the arrieros 
and mules took possession of the stables. There was no 
want of provisions in the town ; and having the portable 
cupboard to resort to, and two diligent attendants to wait 
on us, we fared unusually well, and passed a comfortable 
night. 

The next day a dark and cloudy sky threatened a day 
of rain. Presently a few light showers, and the sound of 
distant thunder, satisfied us of the little chance there was 
of resuming our journey that day without suffering the 
inconvenience of another wetting. About 2 o'clock — the 
usual hour, as I have before observed — it began to pour, 
and all idea of quitting Salama till the next morning, was 
abandoned. 

In the mean time I availed myself of a short interval of 
clear weather to take a view of the town, which, I was in- 
formed, was the head of a Department, or province, and 
contained a population of four or five thousand inhabi- 
tants. It was a large and apparently a flourishing place, 
with some good streets, and a plaza, in which were situ- 



174 NARRATIVE OP A 

ated, as in all Spanish American towns, the town-hall and 
the church. There were also a number of httle shops 
round the plaza, and a fountain in the centre of it. Many 
of the streets were barricaded, and the barricades furnished 
with loop-holes to fire through. This was a means of de- 
fence which had been adopted on the occasion of a recent 
attack on the place by Carrera, who, as I have already 
stated, was repulsed and defeated there with considerable 
loss. Exasperated by his ill success in this expedition, 
the rebel chief, it seems, wreaked his vengeance on the 
neighbouring estates and farms, especially on one called 
the hacienda de St. Geronimo. This is the largest and 
most valuable estate in the country. It was formerly the 
property of the friars of the order of St. Jerome, who used 
to derive from it a revenue of forty thousand dollars, but 
on the extinction of the religious orders, was claimed by 
the Government as public property, and sold. The pur- 
chaser was an English gentleman, who paid for it two 
hundred and fifty thousand dollars in paper money, 
which had cost him only twenty-five thousand dollars in 
specie. The estate, being English property, was singled 
out by Carrera, and given up to the rapacity of his fac- 
tious band, who fell upon it like a swarm of locusts, and 
after plundering it, burnt or destroyed what they were 
unable to carry off. The dependents of the estate, who 
were mostly Englishmen, took to flight, and thought 
themselves fortunate in escaping with their lives. 

Such were, only a few months since, the evils with 
which the inhabitants of Central America were afflicted, 
and such the distracted state of that unfortunate country, 
which, blessed as it is with a delicious climate and a fer- 
tile soil, and rich in its mineral and vegetable produc- 
tions, only wants a good government and good laws to 
make it the envy of the world. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 175 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Departure from Salami. — Adventure in passing the River. — View of the 
Town and Valley. — The Indian Hamlet. — The Surly Indian. — Inci- 
dents of a Night. 

After a detention of one day in Salama, we proceeded 
on our journey, and on reaching the extremity of the val- 
ley, found ourselves upon the bank of the river, which, 
from the winding course it pursues, again crossed our 
path. Over this part of the stream there was a bridge ; 
but no notice was taken of it by the arrieros, who drove 
their mules across the water, and were followed by Don 
Ignacio and the officer. I determined, however, to follow 
the example of the soldiers, who took the bridge, which, 
though unprovided with a railing, appeared to me per- 
fectly safe, and sufficiently broad to be passed on horse- 
back. 

I had reached about the middle of the bridge, when my 
friends called out to me from the other side of the river 
not to attempt to proceed, but to turn back and take the 
ford. I now began to see the folly I had committed, and 
the danger of my situation. The planks composing the 
floor of the bridge, at the point where I had arrived, were 
quite loose, and so far apart, that my mule might easily 
have put her foot through the space between them. The 
poor animal, from an instinctive perception of danger, 
began to blow and tremble ; and pointing her ears, would 
put her head down, and gaze at the water, that could be 
seen through the openings in the planks, rushing along 
twenty feet beneath. At length she made a full stop. I 
urged her forward, but she refused to move, and on my 



176 NARRATIVE OP A 

trying a second time, she turned her head first on one 
side, and then on the other, as if she contemplated taking 
a leap. 

Apprehensive of this, I hastened to dismount, and 
taking the bridle in my hand, tried to lead her over ; but 
she had resolved not to advance another step, I would 
fain have embraced the alternative of retracing my steps ; 
but this was an undertaking even more hazardous than 
that of proceeding. The bridge was scarcely five feet 
broad, and, as before stated, had no railing on its sides. 
Thus, the space afforded for turning the mule was just 
equal to the distance between the fore and the hinder feet 
of the animal: The risk of her falling over, either back- 
wards or forwards, was imminent. But the attempt must 
of necessity be made. Accordingly, holding the bridle 
loosely in my hand, so as in case of a mishap to avoid 
being entangled by it, and dragged into the water, I drew 
the mule gently round, and, to my surprise and satisfac- 
tion, saw her perform this evolution with complete suc- 
cess, though, in the act of it, her feet before and behind 
came at the same time within an inch or two of the edge 
of the bridge. 

Having forded the river, and joined the party, I was 
rallied on my adventure, and made a subject of merri- 
ment for the rest of the day. 

Leaving the valley, we now commenced ascending a se- 
ries of rocky heights, from which a fine view was afforded 
occasionally of the plains below the town of Salama, the 
river, and the hacienda of St. Geronimo, which could be 
seen in the distance whitening through the trees. The 
country grew more wild and rugged as we advanced, until 
it became a very labyrinth of woods, and rocks, and preci- 
pices. Further on, in passing through a forest, I was 
struck with the size and beauty of some of the trees, on 
the branches of which might be seen a variety of parasiti- 
cal plants, that grew without any other nourishment than 
the little moisture they derived from the bark to which 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 177 

they adhered. My attention was also attracted by a num- 
ber of otlier curious and beautiful plants and wild flowersj 
well deserving the notice of a florist or a botanist, that 
bloomed there unseen and unadmired. 

We next proceeded along the channel of a mountain 
torrent, which, though it contained but little water, was 
so uneven and full of loose stones, that our progress 
through it was painfully slow and difficult. 

Emerging from this torrent, we came in view of a little 
plain, hedged in by rocks and thickets, and situated at the 
foot of a mountain. In the centre was a cluster of huts, 
surrounded by little plantations of maize and fruit trees. 
The place was a rancheria, called el Fatal, and had al- 
together a most rural and picturesque appearance. The 
huts were only six or eight, and were inhabited by 
Indians. 

It being now 3 o'clock — the hour at which, in that sea- 
son of the year, it usually rains — and there being no 
probability of our finding a shelter further on for a con- 
siderable distance, it was determined to make the ranche- 
ria our resting-place for the night. I was loth to disturb 
the quiet of this little fairy land — this Eden in miniature 
— but there was no help for it, and we proceeded to take 
possession of the place. The best of the huts, which 
might more properly be called a large shed, (it being en- 
tirely open on one side,) was occupied by the officer and 
the escort ; another was selected by Don Ignacio for him- 
self and his servant. The former was so crowded by the 
soldiers, and the latter so completely destitute of any thing 
like comfort, that I resolved on seeldng my own accom- 
modations elsewhere. 

Casting my eye around, I fixed upon a hut rather more 
neat and respectable in appearance than the others, and 
rode towards it. This hut was hemmed in by a milpa, 
or corn plantation, and by a little kitchen-garden ; and I 
saw no means of approaching it without injuring the 
premises. An old Indian, with a young man, now made 
23 



178 NARRATIVE OF A 

his appearance, whom I saluted, and addressed in the 
most civil manner, asking him whether that was his 
house, and whether he would permit me to pass the night 
there. The old man shrugged his shoulders, and did not, 
or pretended not, to understand. I repeated the question, 
and his answer was, managh^ managh, which — as I af- 
terwards learnt — means, I have none, or there is none ; 
the poor man believing, no doubt, that I was asking him 
for something to eat. I then desired him, partly by signs, 
to show me the way to the house ; but his answer was, 
with something like petulance in the manner of giving 
it, "wo hay camdno,''' (there is no road.) 

I now determined I would go into that hut " whether 
or not." Accordingly, I struck my spurs into my mule, 
and rode through the milpa to the door of the hut, where 
I tied my mule, and walked in ; the old and the young In- 
dian following me, and muttering in their native language 
unintelhgible things. On entering the hut, I found a 
young woman occupied making tortillas. I sat down op- 
posite to her, and addressed to her a few words, but to no 
purpose : she looked at me for a moment with an air of sur- 
prise, and then continued her work. She evidently did not 
understand a word of Spanish. Two little dirty naked 
children were sprawling at her feet ; and it immediately 
struck me that she might be their mother. With this 
impression, I took one of them up, placed it on my knee, 
and wiping its little mouth, gave it a kiss. This act did 
not escape the attention of the mother — for such she 
proved to be — her countenance suddenly brightened up, 
and her full dark eyes beamed with an expression of 
pleasure. Pursuing my advantage, I made out to ask her 
whether that was her child. She seemed to understand 
me and answered, ha, ha, guahenni — which means, yes, 
yes my child. I then pointed to the other child, and 
asked if that, too, was her guahenni. She answered with 
a nod and a smile ; and thereupon, I took up that one 
also, and caressed it as I had done the first. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 179 

The old Indian, who was the father of this young 
woman, and of the youth by whom he was accompanied, 
had stood all this time looking on in silence. The stern- 
ness of his countenance had now in a measure disap- 
peared; and as he seemed more favourably disposed 
towards me, I seized that opportunity of gaining his good 
will by paying him a little compliment. Taking up a 
calabash, that happened to be near me, I poured into it a 
small quantity of French brandy from a little flask — once 
the property of my former travelling companion, who 
transferred it to me — and handed the beverage to the old 
man, with a request that he would drink it. He took the 
calabash, but hesitated a moment, and looked first towards 
his daughter, and then to his son, as if to consult them 
before taking a draught that peradventure might be poi- 
soned. At length he took courage, and tossed off the 
brandy ; then smacked his lips, and cried, " bueno !" I 
then poured out into the same calabash a few drops, which 
I drank myself This seemed to gratify the old man ex- 
cessively ; I had removed all suspicions of the drink be- 
ing poisoned ; I had not scrupled to drink out of the 
same cup with him ; in short, I had fairly subjugated him 
by an act of condescension. 

Finding myself now on the best terms with the whole 
family, I put a few reals into the hands of the old Indian, 
and desired him to buy me a fowl, some eggs, or what- 
ever he could procure. 

In the mean time, the officer, who had been looking for 
me, made his appearance in the hut, and proposed, in case 
of my passing the night there, to send me a few soldiers 
to keep me company. This was agreed to, and my asis- 
tente and three or four others were sent accordingly. I 
now set the men about making a fire, that they might 
prepare a supper out of some eggs which mine Indian 
host had procured me. But how these eggs were to be 
cooked, was another consideration. They could not be 
fried, for we had neither butter nor any thing else that 



180 NARRATIVE OF A 

could serve as a substitute ; nor could they be boiled, for 
there was no salt, and, as one of the soldiers said, " El que 
come un huevo sin sal, se comeria a su ^madre," (He that 
would eat an egg without salt, would eat his mother.) 

Scarcely was this difficulty surmounted, when another 
occurred. Night was coming on apace, and we had no 
candles, nor any other light but that of the fire, which 
was insufficient to enable me to make a memorandum of 
the incidents which I am now recording. I represented 
the case to mine host, and succeeded in making him com- 
prehend that I wanted something to make a light with ; 
but his answer was, as before, managh, managh. My 
asistente now hinted to me, that unless I used threats, I 
should never succeed, as nothing was to be got from an 
Indian by fair means. This, however, I refused to do, 
and it was all the better in the end ; for while these re- 
marks were being made, the Indian had hit upon the 
means of complying with my wishes. Making me a sign 
to wait a little, he left the hut, and returned soon after 
with a bundle of pine knots under his arm. One of these 
he kindled at the fire, and seeing it emit a bright and 
steady flame, he held it up before me with a smile. 

It now only remained to devise some means of fixing 
this light in such a way as to render it unnecessary for 
any of the men to hold it while I was writing. This new 
difficulty was soon disposed of by my asistente, who, cast- 
ing his eyes round, and seeing a little Indian about ten 
years old, who had put his head in at the door of the hut, 
and was gazing on us with a look of wonderment, went 
and seized him by the collar, and planting him beside me, 
said, " here is a candlestick." He then put the pine knot 
into the child's hand, and shaking his finger at him, bade 
him hold himself upright, and not to budge. The little 
fellow, who had already learnt to yield passive obedience 
to the white man, exhibited on the occasion the docility 
peculiar to his race ; and there he stood for more than 
half an hour, as motionless as a statue, and almost afraid 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 181 

to breathe, while I was bringing up my journal. I have 
no doubt he would have held out two hours, but there 
was no necessity for making the experiment. On reliev- 
ing him from his task, I put a real into his hand, and 
made him a sign to go. He gazed for a few moments at 
the coin, then clutched it with his little fingers, and with- 
out uttering a word, bounded out of the hut with the 
agility of an antelope. 

I now looked round for a place to sleep in, and, to my 
surprise, observed that my Indian friends — father, son, 
and daughter — had disappeared, and left us in exclusive 
possession of their house. I could not help expressing 
my regret at having, as it were, turned the family out of 
doors ; but the soldiers only laughed at me, and told me 
not to trouble myself about them, for an Indian could 
sleep any-where. I resolved with myself, however, to 
make them some amends, the next morning, by a liberal 
compensation. In the mean time, I disposed myself for 
rest on a hurdle of cane-reeds, covering it with my leo- 
pard's skin ; the soldiers, spreading out their chamarras, 
stretched themselves on the ground. 



182 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

The Deserted Village. — The Gay Curate. — Anecdote of Indian Idola- 
try. — A Picturesque Country. — Village of St. Miguel. — Pensile Nests. 
—The Little Chapel.— The River Polochic— Another Bridge of Cu- 
rious Invention. 

On leaving the hut the next morning, I did not forget 
the old Indian and his fainily, and we parted excellent 
friends, notwithstanding the inauspicious commencement 
of our acquaintance. I now joined Don Ignacio and the 
rest of the party, whose situation during the preceding 
night had not been much more enviable than mine : we 
mounted ; and leaving the rancheria del Fatal, proceeded 
on our journey. The road now led along the banks of a 
mountain stream, which tossed and foamed among the 
rocks as it pursued its winding and rapid course towards 
the vallies. This stream was one of the tributaries of the 
Polochic, a river in which, at the point where it becomes 
navigable, I proposed taking a boat to convey me to the 
Golfo dulce, and thence across the lake to Izabal. After a 
short, though wearisome march, in the course of which 
the stream had to be forded several times, we arrived at an 
Indian village called Taltique, where it was deemed ex- 
pedient to halt for that day, though the distance travelled 
had been only six leagues. 

We were not a little surprised, on entering the village, 
to find only women and children : the men had all disap- 
peared ; and even the curate had rendered himself invisi- 
ble, for he was nowhere to be found. At length we suc- 
ceeded in extracting from the women the secret of this 
general abandonment of the place, and learnt that the 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 183 

men, on being apprised of our coming, and apprehending 
that we were charged with a commission from the Go- 
vernment to raise recruits or to exact rations, had fled to 
the mountains, and that the curate, also deeming it pru- 
dent to shun our presence, had followed their example. 
Finding this to be the case, we gave them such explana- 
tions as fully satisfied them of our character and inten- 
tions. One of the women said the Padre was not far oflf, 
and that she would bring him in a twinkling. This con- 
ference was not sustained without much difiiculty; the 
inhabitants here, as in all Indian villages, being but indif- 
ferently acquainted with the Spanish. 

We now repaired to the house of the curate, and un- 
loading the mules in the yard, sat down to rest under the 
piazza, which, as the door was locked, was the only ac- 
cessible part of the house. The curate soon made his 
appearance, and with perfect cordiality and politeness 
welcomed us to his dwelling. He seemed disposed at 
first to conceal the motive of his absence, but he finally 
confessed that he had fallen into the same error as the rest 
of the inhabitants ; and that as the agents of the Govern- 
ment, or those of Carrera, by whom the village was occa- 
sionally visited, were in the habit of making him the 
channel of their requisitions, he had taken the liberty to 
withdraw. He then directed arrangemerits to be made 
for our accommodation during the night, and some re- 
freshments to be prepared for us. In the mean time, the 
fugitive inhabitants of the village had been relieved of 
their apprehensions, and were now fast returning to their 
homes. 

We had every reason to be pleased with the padre, who 
joined us in our evening meal, and enlivened the repast 
by the wit and gaiety of his conversation. He could 
even play on the guitar, and sing, and was easily pre- 
vailed on to exhibit before us these unclerical accom- 
plishments. He was an intelligent man withal, and full 



184 NARRATIVE OF A 

of information and anecdote. His illustrations of the In- 
dian character were highly interesting, and his remarks on 
the propensity of that people to idolatry, both sensible and 
amusing. With reference to this subject, he related to us 
the following, among other anecdotes. 

One of his predecessors in the curacy had detected his 
parishioners in the adoration of a god of their own. This 
was no other than an old Indian, whom they had dressed 
up in a particular way, and installed in a hut, where they 
went to worship him, offering him the fruits of their in- 
dustry as a tribute, and performing in his presence cer- 
tain religious rites, according to their ancient practice. 
His godship, who had no manner of work to do, and was 
regaled with all the good things that the village afforded, 
found this a sufficiently pleasant mode of life, and wil- 
lingly sustained the character he had been made to as- 
sume. But such impious proceedings the curate was 
determined not to suffer. He remonstrated with his 
flock, and admonished them both in public and in private, 
but all to no purpose : he was listened to by no one ; he 
threatened, and was threatened in turn. He now adopted 
another course, and affecting to approve the conduct of 
his parishioners, humoured them in the mad whim they 
had been seized with. It was that time of the year called 
Passion Week, when certain ceremonies are performed in 
commemoration of the sufferings of our Saviour on the 
cross. The curate proposed that the passion and death 
of Christ should be represented by the Indian deity in 
person ; that he should have a crown of thorns put on his 
head, and be whipped and crucified, " After he is dead 
and buried," said the curate, "he, of course, will rise 
again, and then we will all beheve in him." 

The Indians were delighted with the idea, and, in their 
simplicity, determined to proceed according to the sug- 
gestions of their pastor. The old Indian was brought 
forth, and, nolens volens, was decorated with the thorny 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 185 

crown ; he then received an awful flagellation, and, 
finally, in spite of his entreaties to be exempted from 
so great and unmerited a distinction, was actually cru- 
cified. 

As soon as the poor Indian was fairly dead, they took 
him down, and carried him to the village-church, where, 
having laid him out, they watched him, and waited with in- 
tense interest for the third day, when he was to return to 
life. But before that day arrived, the body exhibited such 
symptoms of dissolution, and began to be so offensive, 
that the Indians already entertained doubts of the legiti- 
macy of their god. They held out, however, till the ex- 
piration of the third, when finding that there was to be no 
resurrection, they dragged the body out of the church, 
and threw it on a dung-hill. From that time forward, 
they submitted with exemplary docility to the directions 
of their spiritual guide. 

Our route the following day continued to be along the 
banks of the mountain stream before mentioned, which, 
as we advanced, became gradually broader, deeper, and 
less rapid in its current. The country we passed through 
this day was beautifully wild and romantic. Almost every 
mile brought to our view some novel object to arrest the 
attention, some charming landscape that the eye rested on 
with complacence. At one time, it was a gigantic forest 
of druidical antiquity, at another a shady grove ; now a 
smiling little valley, and, anon, a stony ridge, where rocks 
and trees were heaped together in wild confusion. This, 
as I have before stated, is the general character of the coun- 
try in Central America ; but all the varieties of natural 
scenery were on the present occasion confined within a 
smaller space than at any other period of my journey. 
As they passed before my eyes in panoramic succession, 
the mind seemed to be under the influence of a charm, 
and forgot, in the pleasure of the scene, the fatigues of 
travel, and all care for the future or the past. 
24 



186 NARRATIVE OF A 

Here and there, as we passed on, some rancherias or 
little hamlets occurred, and one or two haciendas ; but 
we made no halt before reaching St. Miguel de Tucuru. 
This was a village situated in a hollow in the mountains, 
where a circular range of woods and sierras formed 
around a natural amphitheatre, The place, when we 
first discovered it from an adjacent eminence, looked so 
rural, so pleasant and secluded, that I readily agreed to 
stop there for the night ; nay, I would almost have con- 
sented to pass there the remainder of my days. On our 
arriving there, however, these favourable impressions 
were in a measure destroyed by the absence of every 
comfort, The curate being absent in the performance of 
some of the duties of his calling, his house was shut up ; 
that of the alcalde offered us no inducement for remaining 
in it ; and the provisions the place afforded were but 
few and homely. In selecting our quarters, we had the 
choice of the church or the cabildo, both of which were 
open ; but we entertained too much respect for the former 
to turn it into a caravansary, and took our lodgings in 
the latter. This was a commodious and substantial hut, 
consisting of one large room, with a corridor in front. A 
field hard by afforded, excellent pasture for the mules ; 
and, however we might fare, it was some satisfaction to 
know that our beasts were properly provided for. 

At an early hour the next morning, we left the pic- 
turesque little valley of St. Miguel, and were again upon 
the road. After passing a rocky ridge, over a difficult 
and rugged path, and fording several small brooks, we 
came again to the stream, the course of which we had 
followed during the preceding days. This stream was 
now a respectable river ; its banks were perfectly clear, 
or shaded only by lofty palm trees, growing at intervals, 
and the road was completely level, and clothed with a 
fine short grass, so that our mules were able to make 
more progress with less fatigue. The weather, too, was 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 187 

delightful, and there W£is that soft, balmy temperature in 
the air, which is peculiar to the month of May in northern 
climates. In short, so many favourable circumstances 
concurred to cheer us oil our way, that our travelling this 
day was like an excursion of pleasure. 

At one place, I was struck with the singular appear- 
ance of a lofty ceyba, or silk-cotton tree, that overhung 
the road, and from the topmost branches of which were 
suspended not less than fifty nests of the bird called oriole, 
already noticed in a preceding chapter. They were 
hanging by a mere thread, and swung to and fro in the 
air, apparently at the mercy of the wind ; but only one 
had fallen. I stopped to pick it up, and was filled with 
admiration on observing the industry and ingenuity dis- 
played in its construction. It was like a lady's reticule. 
The outside consisted of fibres or stalks of grass, and flex- 
ible twigs, so minutely and closely interwoven, as to 
form a tolerably compact web. The inside was neatly 
lined with soft moss and little flakes of wool and cotton. 
The opening at top was about two inches in diameter, 
and just large enough to admit the body of the bird. 

Further on, another, and a very different object, at- 
tracted my attention. It was a little hut, like a shrine or 
chapel, surmounted by a cross, and ornamented, above 
and around, with shrubs and wild flowers. Within was 
an image of our Saviour, about four feet high, dressed in 
white, and girded with a sword ! 

"We now came to where the stream, which we had thus 
far followed, poured its copious tribute into the river Polo- 
chic. In passing this river, we went over a bridge so 
novel and primitive in its construction, that it was de- 
cidedly the greatest curiosity I had yet seen. It was 
composed of the pendant branches of a tree, which, like 
those of the bannian tree in the East Indies, grow down- 
wards till they reach the ground, and taking root, grow 
up again. Of these branches, v/hich, properly speaking, 



188 NARRATIVE OF A 

are only strong, flexible fibres, called in America bejucos, 
a great number had been woven together, so as to form a 
cable of considerable strength and durability. This was 
stretched across the river, and formed the floor of the 
bridge, while on either side of it, and about three feet 
higher, two parallel cables of smaller size, about the same 
distance apart, formed the banister, or railing. The 
space between the upper cables and the main one was 
defended by a net-work of bejucos of a smaller size. 
Some idea of this invention may be formed by comparing 
it to a long narrow book, half open. In passing it, we 
seemed to be playing the part of rope-dancers ; only that, 
instead of a balance-pole, we had the side cables to aid us 
in keeping an equilibrium. We passed one at a time, and 
at every step we took, the bridge trembled from one end to 
the other. The mules had to be unloaded, and being 
driven into the stream, crossed it swimming. Their bur- 
dens were carried over the bridge by the muleteers : an 
operation that was not without its difficulties and dangers. 

It was some time before we were fairly on the other side, 
and ready to pursue our journey. Meanwhile, I was 
agreeably occupied in contemplating the beauty of the 
natural scenery around me, which had very much the ap- 
pearance of a theatrical decoration ; for there, a broad deep 
river was flowing majestically before me in a serpentine 
direction, its lofty banks fringed with a luxuriant vegeta- 
tion ; a labyrinth of woods and momitains was visible in 
the distance, and, over-head, a sky of refulgent brightness 
spread a canopy of cenilean blue. 

Notwithstanding the delay incurred at the bridge, or 
puente de bejucos.) we performed that day a journey of 
eight leagues. We passed the night among a few huts, 
with few comforts to boast of, or, rather, with many incon- 
veniences — hard beds, indifferent fare, and even some ex- 
posure to the rain. The weather, which, during the day, 
had been unusually fine, had changed towards evening, 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



189 



and a thunder-storm coming on, with lightning and heavy- 
showers, lasted the whole night. 

The morning of the next day was clear, and the atmo- 
sphere was much warmer, notwithstanding the rain that 
had fallen ; we having now reached what is called the 
tierra caliente, or warm lands, situated nearer the level of 
the sea. After a ride of five leagues, chiefly through fields 
of long wet grass, we arrived at the town of Telaman, 
where my land journey was brought to a close. 



190 NARRATIVE OF A 



CHAPTER XXiy. 

IJepartufe from Telaman.-^River Navigation. — The Canoe.— Alarm 
during the Night. — The Lake. — Arrival at Izabal. — Passage down the 
River. — The Echo. — ^^Livingston's Village. — -Balize. — Mr. M. — Attack 
of Fever.-^-Departure for Havana, and thence for Baltimore.-^Arrival 
at Washington.— A Parting Word to the Reader. 

Telaman is situated on the banks of the Polochic, at 
the point where that river becomes navigable. I found it 
a thriving Uttle town, with Soifiething of a commercial air. 
I was provided, in the house of a ladino, with very passa- 
ble accommodations. It was quite apparent that the in- 
habitants here had had some intercourse with foreigners 
and strangers, as several objects of luxury or convenience 
were to be found in their houses, such as I had not seen 
since my departure from Guatemala. In the house of 
mine host I was agreeably surprised by the sight of a rock- 
ing chair and a tea-pot, and hailed them as indications of 
my being again within the precincts of civilized society. 

I now dismissed the escort, and made arrangements for 
descending the river. A canoe was engaged, accordingly, 
with three men to direct her course. This canoe, which 
had been scooped out of the trunk of a tree, measured thir- 
ty-two feet in lengthy and only three in breadth, and drew 
scarcely fifteen inches water. The after-part was covered 
tvith a roof of canes and palm leaves, as a protection 
against the sun and rain. Two men sat in the bows with 
paddles, and another in the stern, who was both helmsman 
and captain : the baggage was stowed away in the bottom 
©f the boat. 

In this frail and unsteady craft I embarked for Izabal. 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 191 

There was a novelty, however, in this water conveyance, 
which, after so much travelHng by land, was agreeable and 
refreshing. Stretched under the green awning of the ca- 
noe, I lay in a dreamy and abstracted state, gazing on the 
glassy surface of the water, or contemplating the beautiful 
scenery around, while my little vessel, borne along by the 
current, and propelled by the paddles, pursued her devious 
and rapid course down the windings of the stream. The 
banks of the river, on either side, were clothed with the 
richest verdure, and shaded by lofty trees, with branches 
projecting far over the water, while here and there a group 
of huts, or the house of some wealthy landholder, imparted 
an interest and variety to the scene. 

In the course of the night, and just as a soft slumber be- 
gan " to steep my senses in forgetfulness," I was awakened 
by a cry of alarm from the helmsman. The canoe had 
struck against a snag, or trunk of a tree stuck endways in 
the middle of the river, and, swinging round with her 
broad-side to the stream, was on the point of capsizing, 
when she was righted by the dexterity of the helmsman. 
I became at once aware of our situation, and dreaded the 
possibility of her going down before I could extricate my- 
self from the awning over my head. This occurrence dis- 
pelled my sleep for that night. The next morning, about 
day-break, we passed a little settlement composed of for- 
eigners, called Cajabon, and soon after came to the hoca, 
or mouth of the river, which there loses itself in the great 
lake called Golfo duke. We had now been twenty hours 
on the water, during which time the boatmen had scarcely 
allowed themselves a moment's respite from their labour ; 
and we had travelled a hundred miles, which, includino- 
the windings of the river, is the distance from Telaman to 
the mouth of the Polochic, though in a direct line it is 
only sixty. 

On entering the lake, a gentle breeze sprung up in 
the night direction, and a small sail being hoisted, the 



192 NARRATIVE OF A 

canoe glided swiftly over the water towards her des- 
tined port. This breeze, however, gradually shifting to 
another point, it was necessary to take in the sail, and have 
recourse again to the paddles. The boatmen now had to 
exert themselves, in order to reach Izabal before the sea 
breeze, which was coming on apace, became stronger ; as 
in the case of the water rising into waves, the canoe, which 
was of so httle depth, and had no keel, ran a risk of being 
swamped. Accordingly, we kept close in-shore, and pad- 
dled along patiently and diligently for the space of four 
hours, when we arrived at Izabal. 

Don Valentin, who had so kindly harboured me on my 
first coming to the place, welcomed me back in the most 
cordial manner. It was the 12th of July when I arrived 
there, nine days since my departure from Guatemala. 
There was no opportunity then for proceeding to Balize, 
but one presented itself on the 15th, when I embarked in a 
small English vessel destined for that port. 

The passage across the lake, and down the river to the 
sea, was as pleasant as it had been when I came. I had 
once more an opportunity of admiring the charming scenes 
of that romantic river, and was now agreeably surprised by 
a novelty which, in coming up, had escaped my notice. 
This was a remarkable echo, produced at that point of the 
river where, as I before observed, the bank consists of a 
flat, perpendicular rock, like a wall. Every word, and 
even a short phrase, uttered aloud, is repeated here with a 
clearness that is surprising. The experiment was made, 
and the repetition of the words was distinct and perfect. 

On approaching the mouth of the river, my attention 
was attracted by a little village I had not observed in 
coming up ; and with a mixture of surprise and pleasure, 
I learnt that the name of the place was Livingston. This 
was a compliment paid by the Central American Govern- 
ment to that distinguished statesman and jurist, whose 
criminal code had been adopted in the country, and whose 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 193 

character and talents were not less respected there than in 
the United States. The village consisted of only forty or 
fifty huts, but it had a thriving appearance ; and some lit- 
tle trade was carried on there, as four or five small craft 
were at anchor in front of it. 

Being compelled to beat up against the breeze-wind all 
the way, we did not arrive at Balize before the 19th. 
There was not at the time any vessel in port for Havana 
or the United States, and I saw no prospect of getting 
away in several days. This I regretted the more, from the 
apprehensions I entertained of the deleterious nature of 
the climate, and the imminent risk of being attacked by 
the fever. My first inquiries on landing, were about my 
former travelling companion, Mr. M., whose house, during 
my stay in the place, I proposed making my home. My 
surprise and sorrow will easily be conceived, when I learnt 
that he had died only the day before. In less than three 
weeks from his return he had been taken ill, and in five 
days after was conveyed to the cemetery. I met, how- 
ever, with a good reception from my former acquaintance, 
the Spanish merchant, Don Francisco, who ofiered me a 
room in his house. 

I now discovered that rest, after fatigue, is only agree- 
able for a short time. Accustomed, as I had been, to con- 
stant motion, and to a daily change of scene, my confine- 
ment to a particular place was irksome. I sighed for the 
woods and wilds, and for the variety and excitement of a 
traveller's life. I felt that there was a secret and irresisti- 
ble charm in migration, and would fain have returned to 
breathe once more the pure air of the mountains. 

In short, for eight days I was left in the full enjoyment 
of the dolce far niente, which I found to be rather weari- 
some. On the 27th I felt very ill, and the day after, the 
contingency I had dreaded was sadly realised : I was 
taken down with a severe attack of bilious fever. A phy- 
sician was procured, £ind he proved to be a good one. I 
25 



1^4 NARRATIVE OF A 

was in his hands for five days, and received three or four 
visits from him daily. But I will not occupy the reader 
with the details of my situation during this period. Suf- 
fice it to say, it was the most melancholy and unpleasant. 
The house I lived in, afforded none of the little comforts 
so desirable to a sick man — not even the means of making 
a cup of tea. I was left almost alone, and had no regular 
attendant, and no other bed than a cot, without a mattress. 
I felt certain that I was going to follow Mr. M.^ and my 
despondence and discomfort were beyond expression. 
Happily, on the 1st August I was declared out of danger, 
and on the 3rd of the same month was sufficiently well 
to embark in the Guatemala packet, that sailed on that day 
for Havana. 

The winds were light and variable, but chiefly in a di- 
rection contrary to the vessel's course. Our progress was 
like that of Penelope's web, for we lost at night what we 
gained during the day. At length, after a tedious passage 
of fourteen days, we anchored in the port of our des- 
tination. 

I was standing in the vessel's poop, and gazing at the 
shipping, and the houses, and the fortifications of Havana, 
as we entered the harbour, when I was hailed by name 
from a vessel that we were passing. It was the captain of 
the brig in which I had performed the voyage to Truxillo. 
Coming along-side the packet, he claimed me as his pas- 
senger on my return to the United States, and notified me 
that he would sail on the following day. To this, how- 
ever, I demurred, for I was resolved on having one day of 
enjoyment in Havana, and would only consent to go on 
the day after. The captain remonstrated and entreated, 
and laid great stress on the responsibility he incurred by 
any unjustifiable detention of his vessel ; but he yielded at 
last — as I Imew he would — and on the 19th instant we 
sailed together for Baltimore. 

The winds were variable, and the weather fair and plea- 



JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 195 

sant until the evening of the 25th, when we were over- 
taken by a dreadful thunder-storm. The sky was literally 
black with heavy dense clouds ; the thunder was a con- 
tinued roar ; and the firmament seemed on fire. Yet there 
was scarcely any wind ; but the sea rolled with a tremen- 
dous swell, and the rain poured down as if the flood-gates 
of heaven had been thrown open. 

We encountered two or three other squalls before 
making the capes. At length we entered the Chesapeake. 
On the 29th I was in Baltimore, and on the 1st of Septem- 
ber arrived in Washington, five months from the time of 
my departure from that city. 

And now, gentle reader, we must part ; our journey is 
at an end ; but we may meet again. In the mean time, 
accept my acknowledgments for the patience with which 
you have followed me in my wanderings, and for the inte- 
rest which perhaps you have taken in my adventures. In 
laying down this little book, let a spirit of generosity direct 
your judgment, and say, with Horace, 

" Non ego paucis ofFendar maculis." 



FINIS. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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